Equivalent thermal conductivity of the storage basket with spent nuclear fuel of VVER-1000 reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alyokhina, Svitlana; Kostikov, Andriy

2014-01-01

Due to limitation of computation resources and/or computation time many thermal problems require to use simplified geometrical models with equivalent thermal properties. A new method for definition of equivalent thermal conductivity of spent nuclear fuel storage casks is proposed. It is based on solving the inverse heat conduction problem. For the proposed method two approaches for equivalent thermal conductivity definition were considered. In the first approach a simplified model in conjugate formulation is used, in the second approach a simplified model of solid body which allows an analytical solution is used. For safety ensuring during all time of spent nuclear fuel storage the equivalent thermal conductivity was calculated for different storage years. The calculated equivalent thermal conductivities can be used in thermal researches for dry spent nuclear fuel storage safety.

Solar Thermal Energy Storage in a Photochromic Macrocycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlasceanu, Alexandru; Broman, Søren L; Hansen, Anne S; Skov, Anders B; Cacciarini, Martina; Kadziola, Anders; Kjaergaard, Henrik G; Mikkelsen, Kurt V; Nielsen, Mogens Brøndsted

2016-07-25

The conversion and efficient storage of solar energy is recognized to hold significant potential with regard to future energy solutions. Molecular solar thermal batteries based on photochromic systems exemplify one possible technology able to harness and apply this potential. Herein is described the synthesis of a macrocycle based on a dimer of the dihydroazulene/vinylheptafulvene (DHA/VHF) photo/thermal couple. By taking advantage of conformational strain, this DHA-DHA macrocycle presents an improved ability to absorb and store incident light energy in chemical bonds (VHF-VHF). A stepwise energy release over two sequential ring-closing reactions (VHF→DHA) combines the advantages of an initially fast discharge, hypothetically addressing immediate energy consumption needs, followed by a slow process for consistent, long-term use. This exemplifies another step forward in the molecular engineering and design of functional organic materials towards solar thermal energy storage and release. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Storage effects on anthocyanins, phenolics and antioxidant activity of thermally processed conventional and organic blueberries.

Science.gov (United States)

Syamaladevi, Roopesh M; Andrews, Preston K; Davies, Neal M; Walters, Thomas; Sablani, Shyam S

2012-03-15

Consumer demand for products rich in phytochemicals is increasing as a result of greater awareness of their potential health benefits. However, processed products are stored for long-term and the phytochemicals are susceptible to degradation during storage. The objective of this study was to assess the storage effects on phytochemicals in thermally processed blueberries. Thermally processed canned berries and juice/puree were analysed for phytochemicals during their long-term storage. The phytochemical retention of thermally processed blueberries during storage was not influenced by production system (conventional versus organic). During 13 months of storage, total anthocyanins, total phenolics and total antioxidant activity in canned blueberry solids decreased by up to 86, 69 and 52% respectively. In canned blueberry syrup, total anthocyanins and total antioxidant activity decreased by up to 68 and 15% respectively, while total phenolic content increased by up to 117%. Similar trends in phytochemical content were observed in juice/puree stored for 4 months. The extent of changes in phytochemicals of thermally processed blueberries during storage was significantly influenced by blanching. Long-term storage of thermally processed blueberries had varying degrees of influence on degradation of total anthocyanins, total phenolics and total antioxidant activity. Blanching before thermal processing helped to preserve the phytochemicals during storage of blueberries. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

High-temperature thermal storage systems for advanced solar receivers materials selections

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, D. F.; Devan, J. H.; Howell, M.

1990-01-01

Advanced space power systems that use solar energy and Brayton or Stirling heat engines require thermal energy storage (TES) systems to operate continuously through periods of shade. The receiver storage units, key elements in both Brayton and Stirling systems, are designed to use the latent heat of fusion of phase-change materials (PCMs). The power systems under current consideration for near-future National Aeronautics and Space Administration space missions require working fluid temperatures in the 1100 to 1400 K range. The PCMs under current investigation that gave liquid temperatures within this range are the fluoride family of salts. However, these salts have low thermal conductivity, which causes large temperature gradients in the storage systems. Improvements can be obtained, however, with the use of thermal conductivity enhancements or metallic PCMs. In fact, if suitable containment materials can be found, the use of metallic PCMs would virtually eliminate the orbit associated temperature variations in TES systems. The high thermal conductivity and generally low volume change on melting of germanium and alloys based on silicon make them attractive for storage of thermal energy in space power systems. An approach to solving the containment problem, involving both chemical and physical compatibility, preparation of NiSi/NiSi2, and initial results for containment of germanium and NiSi/NiSi2, are presented.

Availability-based computer management of a cold thermal storage system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, K.F.V.; Ferrano, F.J.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on work to develop an availability-based, on-line expert system to manage a thermal energy storage air-conditioning system. The management system is designed to be used by mechanical engineers in the field of air-conditioning control and maintenance. Specifically, the expert system permits the user to easily monitor the second law of thermodynamics operating efficiencies of the major components and the system as a whole in addition to the daily scheduled operating parameters of a cold thermal storage system. Through the use of computer-generated and continually updated screen display pages, the user is permitted interaction with the expert system. The knowledge-based system is developed with a commercially available expert system shell that is resident in a personal computer. In the case studied, 130 various analog and binary inputs/outputs are used. The knowledge base for the thermal energy storage expert system included nine different display pages that are continually updated, 25 rules, three tasks, and three loops

New kinds of energy-storing building composite PCMs for thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biçer, Alper; Sarı, Ahmet

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: In this work, 10 new kinds of BCPCMs were prepared by blending of liquid xylitol pentalaurate (XPL) and xylitol pentamyristate (XPM) esters into gypsum, cement, diatomite, perlite and vermiculite. DSC results showed that the melting temperatures and energy storage capacities of the prepared BCPCMs are in range of about 40–55 °C and 31–126 J/g, respectively. TG investigations and thermal cycling test showed that the BCPCMs had good thermal endurance and thermal reliability. It can be also concluded that among the prepared 10 kinds materials, especially the BCPCMs including perlite, vermiculite, diatomite were found to better candidates for thermal energy storage applications in buildings due to the fact that they have relatively high heat storage ability. Highlights: ► New kinds BCPCMs were prepared by blending of liquid XPL and XPM esters with some building materials. ► The BCPCMs had suitable melting temperatures and energy storage capacities. ► Especially, the BCPCMs including perlite, vermiculite, diatomite were found to better candidates for thermal energy storage. - Abstract: Energy storing-composite phase change materials (PCMs) are significant means of thermal energy storage in buildings. Although several building composite PCMs (BCPCMs) have been developed in recent years, the additional investigations are still required to enrich the diversity of BCPCMs for solar heating and energy conservation applications in buildings. For this purpose, the present work is focused the preparation, characterization and determination of 10 new kinds of BCPCMs. The BCPCMs were prepared by blending of liquid xylitol pentalaurate (XPL) and xylitol pentamyristate (XPM) esters with gypsum, cement, diatomite, perlite and vermiculite as supporting matrices. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) analysis showed that the ester compounds were adsorbed uniformly into the building materials due to capillary forces

Aluminum and silicon based phase change materials for high capacity thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Zhengyun; Wang, Hui; Li, Xiaobo; Wang, Dezhi; Zhang, Qinyong; Chen, Gang; Ren, Zhifeng

2015-01-01

Six compositions of aluminum (Al) and silicon (Si) based materials: 87.8Al-12.2Si, 80Al–20Si, 70Al–30Si, 60Al–40Si, 45Al–40Si–15Fe, and 17Al–53Si–30Ni (atomic ratio), were investigated for potentially high thermal energy storage (TES) application from medium to high temperatures (550–1200 °C) through solid–liquid phase change. Thermal properties such as melting point, latent heat, specific heat, thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and laser flash apparatus. The results reveal that the thermal storage capacity of the Al–Si materials increases with increasing Si concentration. The melting point and latent heat of 45Al–40Si–15Fe and 17Al–53Si–30Ni are ∼869 °C and ∼562 J g −1 , and ∼1079 °C and ∼960 J g −1 , respectively. The measured thermal conductivity of Al–Si binary materials depend on Si concentration and is higher than 80 W m −1  K −1 from room temperature to 500 °C, which is almost two orders of magnitude higher than those of salts that are commonly used phase change material for thermal energy storage. - Highlights: • Six kinds of materials were investigated for thermal energy storage (550–1200 °C). • Partial melting of Al–Si materials show progressively changing temperatures. • Studied materials can be used in three different working temperature ranges. • Materials are potentially good candidates for thermal energy storage applications.

Detailed partial load investigation of a thermal energy storage concept for solar thermal power plants with direct steam generation

Science.gov (United States)

Seitz, M.; Hübner, S.; Johnson, M.

2016-05-01

Direct steam generation enables the implementation of a higher steam temperature for parabolic trough concentrated solar power plants. This leads to much better cycle efficiencies and lower electricity generating costs. For a flexible and more economic operation of such a power plant, it is necessary to develop thermal energy storage systems for the extension of the production time of the power plant. In the case of steam as the heat transfer fluid, it is important to use a storage material that uses latent heat for the storage process. This leads to a minimum of exergy losses during the storage process. In the case of a concentrating solar power plant, superheated steam is needed during the discharging process. This steam cannot be superheated by the latent heat storage system. Therefore, a sensible molten salt storage system is used for this task. In contrast to the state-of-the-art thermal energy storages within the concentrating solar power area of application, a storage system for a direct steam generation plant consists of a latent and a sensible storage part. Thus far, no partial load behaviors of sensible and latent heat storage systems have been analyzed in detail. In this work, an optimized fin structure was developed in order to minimize the costs of the latent heat storage. A complete system simulation of the power plant process, including the solar field, power block and sensible and latent heat energy storage calculates the interaction between the solar field, the power block and the thermal energy storage system.

A hybrid solar and chemical looping combustion system for solar thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jafarian, Mehdi; Arjomandi, Maziar; Nathan, Graham J.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A novel solar–CLC hybrid system is proposed which integrates a CLC with solar thermal energy. ► The oxygen carrier particles are used as storage medium for thermal energy storage. ► A solar cavity reactor is proposed for fuel reactor. ► The absorbed solar energy is stored in the particles to produce a base heat load. -- Abstract: A novel hybrid of a solar thermal energy and a chemical looping combustion (CLC) system is proposed here, which employs the oxygen carrier particles in a CLC system to provide diurnal thermal energy storage for concentrated solar thermal energy. In taking advantage of the chemical and sensible energy storage systems that are an inherent part of a CLC system, this hybrid offers potential to achieve cost effective, base load power generation for solar energy. In the proposed system, three reservoirs have been added to a conventional CLC system to allow storage of the oxygen carrier particles, while a cavity solar receiver has been chosen for the fuel reactor. The performance of the system is evaluated using ASPEN PLUS software, with the model being validated using independent simulation result reported previously. Operating temperature, solar efficiency, solar fraction, exergy efficiency and the fraction of the solar thermal energy stored for a based load power generation application are reported.

Thermal energy storage using chloride salts and their eutectics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, Philip D.; Goswami, D. Yogi

2016-01-01

Achieving the goals of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Sunshot initiative requires (1) higher operating temperatures for concentrating solar power (CSP) plants to increase theoretical efficiency, and (2) effective thermal energy storage (TES) strategies to ensure dispatchability. Current inorganic salt-based TES systems in large-scale CSP plants generally employ molten nitrate salts for energy storage, but nitrate salts are limited in application to lower temperatures—generally, below 600 °C. These materials are sufficient for parabolic trough power plants, but they are inadequate for use at higher temperatures. At the higher operating temperatures achievable in solar power tower-type CSP plants, chloride salts are promising candidates for application as TES materials, owing to their thermal stability and generally lower cost compared to nitrate salts. In light of this, a recent study was conducted, which included a preliminary survey of chloride salts and binary eutectic systems that show promise as high temperature TES media. This study provided some basic information about the salts, including phase equilibria data and estimates of latent heat of fusion for some of the eutectics. Cost estimates were obtained through a review of bulk pricing for the pure salts among various vendors. This review paper updates that prior study, adding data for additional salt eutectic systems obtained from the literature. Where possible, data are obtained from the thermodynamic database software, FactSage. Radiative properties are presented, as well, since at higher temperatures, thermal radiation becomes a significant mode of heat transfer. Material compatibility for inorganic salts is another important consideration (e.g., with regard to piping and/or containment), so a summary of corrosion studies with various materials is also presented. Lastly, cost data for these systems are presented, allowing for meaningful comparison among these systems and other materials for TES

Microencapsulated n-octacosane as phase change material for thermal energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sari, Ahmet; Alkan, Cemil; Karaipekli, Ali [Department of Chemistry, Gaziosmanpasa University, 60240 Tokat (Turkey); Uzun, Orhan [Department of Physics, Gaziosmanpasa University, 60240 Tokat (Turkey)

2009-10-15

This study deals with preparation and characterization of polymethylmetracrylate (PMMA) microcapsules containing n-octacosane as phase change material for thermal energy storage. The surface morphology, particle size and particle size distribution (PSD) were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical characterization of PMMA/octacosane microcapsules was made by FT-IR spectroscopy method. Thermal properties and thermal stability of microencapsulated octacosane were determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The melting and freezing temperatures and the latent heats of the microencapsulated octacosane as PCM were measured as 50.6 and 53.2 C, 86.4 and -88.5 J/g, respectively, by DSC analysis. TGA analysis indicated that the microencapsulated octacosane degrade in two steps and had good chemical stability. Thermal cycling test shows that the microcapsules have good thermal reliability with respect to the accelerated thermal cycling. Based on the results, it can be considered that the microencapsulated octacosane have good energy storage potential. (author)

Thermal Analysis of the SAFKEG Package for Long Term Storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

NARENDRA, GUPTA

2005-01-01

Interim plutonium storage for up to 10 years in the K-reactor building is currently being planned at Savannah River Site (SRS). SAFKEG package could be used to store Pu metal and oxide (PuO2) in the K-reactor complex with other packagings like 9975. The SAFKEG is designed for carrying Type-B materials across the DOE complex and meets the 10CFR71 requirements. Thermal analyses were performed to ensure that the temperatures of the SAFKEG components will not exceed their temperature limits under the K-reactor storage conditions. Thermal analyses of the SAFKEG packaging with three content configurations using BNFL 3013 outer container (Rocky Flats, SRS bagless transfer cans, and BNFL inner containers) were performed for storage of PuO2 and plutonium metal

Cost and performance analysis of concentrating solar power systems with integrated latent thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nithyanandam, K.; Pitchumani, R.

2014-01-01

Integrating TES (thermal energy storage) in a CSP (concentrating solar power) plant allows for continuous operation even during times when solar irradiation is not available, thus providing a reliable output to the grid. In the present study, the cost and performance models of an EPCM-TES (encapsulated phase change material thermal energy storage) system and HP-TES (latent thermal storage system with embedded heat pipes) are integrated with a CSP power tower system model utilizing Rankine and s-CO 2 (supercritical carbon-dioxide) power conversion cycles, to investigate the dynamic TES-integrated plant performance. The influence of design parameters of the storage system on the performance of a 200 MW e capacity power tower CSP plant is studied to establish design envelopes that satisfy the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative requirements, which include a round-trip annualized exergetic efficiency greater than 95%, storage cost less than $15/kWh t and LCE (levelized cost of electricity) less than 6 ¢/kWh. From the design windows, optimum designs of the storage system based on minimum LCE, maximum exergetic efficiency, and maximum capacity factor are reported and compared with the results of two-tank molten salt storage system. Overall, the study presents the first effort to construct and analyze LTES (latent thermal energy storage) integrated CSP plant performance that can help assess the impact, cost and performance of LTES systems on power generation from molten salt power tower CSP plant. - Highlights: • Presents technoeconomic analysis of thermal energy storage integrated concentrating solar power plants. • Presents a comparison of different storage options. • Presents optimum design of thermal energy storage system for steam Rankine and supercritical carbon dioxide cycles. • Presents designs for maximizing exergetic efficiency while minimizing storage cost and levelized cost of energy

III-Nitride Membranes for Thermal Bio-Sensing and Solar Hydrogen Generation

KAUST Repository

Elafandy, Rami T.

2017-01-01

demonstrate the versatility of III-nitride membranes where we develop a thermal bio-sensor nanomembrane and solar energy photo-anode membrane. First, we present a novel preparation technique of nanomembranes with new characteristics; having no threading

Ice thermal storage air conditioning system for electric load leveling; Denryoku heijunka to hyochikunetsu system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shigenaga, Y. [Daikin Industries Ltd., Osaka (Japan)

1998-08-15

Thermal storage air conditioning system is the one to use energy stored into thermal storing materials by using night electric power and to operate effective air conditioning. Therefore, as load can be treated by the stored energy, volume of the apparatus can be reduced. And, by reduction of the consumed power at day time, it can contribute to leveling of electric power demand. In general, there are two types in the thermal storage method: one is a method to store as thermal energy, and the other is that to store as chemical energy. For conditions required for the storing materials, important elements on their actual uses are not only physical properties such as large thermal storage per unit and easy thermal in- and out-puts, but also safety, long-term reliability, and easy receiving and economics containing future. The ice thermal storage air conditioning system is classified at the viewpoint of type of ice, kind of thermal storing medium, melting method on using cooling and heating, kinds of thermal medium on cooling and heating. 3 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

Experimental Study on Melting and Solidification of Phase Change Material Thermal Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Ambarita, H.; Abdullah, I.; Siregar, C. A.; Siregar, R. E. T.; Ronowikarto, A. D.

2017-03-01

Melting and solidification process of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are investigated experimentally. The tested PCMs are Paraffin wax and Steric acid which typically used for solar water heater. The objective is to explore the characteristics of the PCM when it is being melted and solidified. The experiments are performed in a glass box. One side of the box wall is heated while the opposite wall is kept constant and other walls are insulated. Temperature of the heated wall are kept constant at 80°C, 85°C, and 90°C, respectively. Every experiment is carried out for 600 minutes. Temperatures are recorded and the melting and solidification processes are pictured by using camera. The results show that the melting process starts from the upper part of the thermal storage. In the solidification process, it starts from the lower part of the thermal storage. As a thermal energy storage, Paraffin wax is better than Steric acid. This is because Paraffin wax can store more energy. At heat source temperature of 90°C, thermal energy stored by Paraffin wax and Stearic acid is 61.84 kJ and 57.39 kJ, respectively. Thus it is better to used Paraffin wax in the solar water heater as thermal energy storage.

Thermal properties and thermal reliability of eutectic mixtures of some fatty acids as latent heat storage materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sari, Ahmet; Sari, Hayati; Oenal, Adem

2004-01-01

The present study deals with two subjects. The first one is to determine the thermal properties of lauric acid (LA)-stearic acid (SA), myristic acid (MA)-palmitic acid (PA) and palmitic acid (PA)-stearic acid (SA) eutectic mixtures as latent heat storage material. The properties were measured by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis technique. The second one is to study the thermal reliability of these materials in view of the change in their melting temperatures and latent heats of fusion with respect to repeated thermal cycles. For this aim, the eutectic mixtures were subjected to 360 repeated melt/freeze cycles, and their thermal properties were measured after 0, 90,180 and 360 thermal cycles by the technique of DSC analysis. The DSC thermal analysis results show that the binary systems of LA-SA in the ratio of 75.5:24.5 wt.%, MA-PA in the ratio of 58:42 wt.% and PA-SA in the ratio of 64.2:35.8 wt.% form eutectic mixtures with melting temperatures of 37.0, 42.60 and 52.30 deg. C and with latent heats of fusion of 182.7, 169.7 and 181.7 J g -1 , respectively. These thermal properties make them possible for heat storage in passive solar heating applications with respect to climate conditions. The accelerated thermal cycle tests indicate that the changes in the melting temperatures and latent heats of fusion of the studied eutectic mixtures are not regular with increasing number of thermal cycles. However, these materials, latent heat energy storage materials, have good thermal reliability in terms of the change in their thermal properties with respect to thermal cycling for about a one year utility period

Palmitic acid/polypyrrole composites as form-stable phase change materials for thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silakhori, Mahyar; Metselaar, Hendrik Simon Cornelis; Mahlia, Teuku Meurah Indra; Fauzi, Hadi; Baradaran, Saeid; Naghavi, Mohammad Sajad

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A novel phase change composite of palmitic acid–polypyrrole(PA–PPy) was fabricated. • Thermal properties of PA–PPy are characterized in different mass ratios of PA–PPy. • Thermal cycling test showed that form stable PCM had a favorable thermal reliability. - Abstract: In this study a novel palmitic acid (PA)/polypyrrole (PPy) form-stable PCMs were readily prepared by in situ polymerization method. PA was used as thermal energy storage material and PPy was operated as supporting material. Form-stable PCMs were investigated by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectrometer) analysis that illustrated PA Particles were wrapped by PPy particles. XRD (X-ray diffractometer) was used for crystalline phase of PA/PPy composites. Thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used for investigating Thermal stability and thermal energy storage properties of prepared form-stable PCMs. According to the obtained results the form stable PCMs exhibited favorable thermal stability in terms of their phase change temperature. The form-stable PCMs (79.9 wt% loading of PA) were considered as the highest loading PCM with desirable latent heat storage of 166.3 J/g and good thermal stability. Accelerated thermal cycling tests also showed that form stable PCM had an acceptable thermal reliability. As a consequence of acceptable thermal properties, thermal stability and chemical stability, we can consider the new kind of form stable PCMs for low temperature solar thermal energy storage applications

Effects of Thermal Cross-Linking on the Structure and Property of Asymmetric Membrane Prepared from the Polyacrylonitrile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Jin

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Improving the thermal and chemical stabilities of classical polymer membranes will be beneficial to extend their applications in the high temperature or aggressive environment. In this work, the asymmetric ultrafiltration membranes prepared from the polyacrylonitrile (PAN were used to fabricate the cross-linking asymmetric (CLA PAN membranes via thermal cross-linking in air to improve their thermal and chemical stabilities. The effects of thermal cross-linking parameters such as temperature and holding time on the structure, gas separation performance, thermal and chemical stabilities of PAN membranes were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, thermogravimetic analysis (TGA and gas permeation test. The thermal cross-linking significantly influences the chemical structure, microstructure and pore structure of PAN membrane. During the thermal cross-linking, the shrinkage of membrane and coalescence or collapse of pore and microstructure make large pores diminish, small pores disappear and pore volumes reduce. The gas permeances of CLA-PAN membranes increase as the increasing of cross-linking temperature and holding time due to the volatilization of small molecules. The CLA-PAN membranes demonstrate excellent thermal and chemical stabilities and present good prospects for application in ultrafiltration for water treatment and for use as a substrate for nanofiltration or gas separation with an aggressive and demanding environment.

Using Nanoparticles for Enhance Thermal Conductivity of Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baydaa Jaber Nabhan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Phase change materials (PCMs such as paraffin wax can be used to store or release large amount of energy at certain temperature at which their solid-liquid phase changes occurs. Paraffin wax that used in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES has low thermal conductivity. In this study, the thermal conductivity of paraffin wax has been enhanced by adding different mass concentration (1wt.%, 3wt.%, 5wt.% of (TiO2 nano-particles with about (10nm diameter. It is found that the phase change temperature varies with adding (TiO2 nanoparticles in to the paraffin wax. The thermal conductivity of the composites is found to decrease with increasing temperature. The increase in thermal conductivity has been found to increase by about (10% at nanoparticles loading (5wt.% and 15oC.

Enhanced Thermal Management System for Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Canister with Hybrid Heat Pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Yeong Shin; Bang, In Cheol

2016-01-01

Dry storage uses the gas or air as coolant within sealed canister with neutron shielding materials. Dry storage system for spent fuel is regarded as relatively safe and emits little radioactive waste for the storage, but it showed that the storage capacity and overall safety of dry cask needs to be enhanced for the dry storage cask for LWR in Korea. For safety enhancement of dry cask, previous studies of our group firstly suggested the passive cooling system with heat pipes for LWR spent fuel dry storage metal cask. As an extension, enhanced thermal management systems for the spent fuel dry storage cask for LWR was suggested with hybrid heat pipe concept, and their performances were analyzed in thermal-hydraulic viewpoint in this paper. In this paper, hybrid heat pipe concept for dry storage cask is suggested for thermal management to enhance safety margin. Although current design of dry cask satisfies the design criteria, it cannot be assured to have long term storage period and designed lifetime. Introducing hybrid heat pipe concept to dry storage cask designed without disrupting structural integrity, it can enhance the overall safety characteristics with adequate thermal management to reduce overall temperature as well as criticality control. To evaluate thermal performance of hybrid heat pipe according to its design, CFD simulation was conducted and previous and revised design of hybrid heat pipe was compared in terms of temperature inside canister

Thermal stratification in storage tanks of integrated collector storage solar water heaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshchepkov, M.Y.; Frid, S.E.

2015-01-01

To determine the influence of the shape of the tank, the installation angle, and the magnitude of the absorbed heat flux on thermal stratification in integrated collector-storage solar water heaters, numerical simulation of thermal convection in tanks of different shapes and same volume was carried out. Idealized two-dimensional models were studied; auto model stratification profiles were obtained at the constant heat flux. The shape of the tank, the pattern of the heat flux dynamics, the adiabatic mixing on the circulation rate and the degree of stratification were shown to have significant influence. (authors)

The proteome of red cell membranes and vesicles during storage in blood bank conditions.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosman, G.J.C.G.M.; Lasonder, E.; Luten, M.; Roerdinkholder-Stoelwinder, B.; Novotny, V.M.J.; Bos, H.; Grip, W.J. de

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: During storage of red cells (RBCs) for transfusion, RBCs undergo a number of biochemical and morphologic changes. To be able to identify the mechanisms underlying these storage lesions, a proteomic analysis of the membranes of RBCs and their vesicles was performed during various periods

PCM thermal storage design in buildings: Experimental studies and applications to solaria in cold climates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guarino, Francesco; Athienitis, Andreas; Cellura, Maurizio; Bastien, Diane

2017-01-01

Highlights: • This paper analyzes the performance of a building-integrated thermal storage system. • A wall opposing a glazed surface serves as phase change materials thermal storage. • The study is based on both experimental and simulation studies. • Heat is stored and released up to 6–8 h after solar irradiation. • Yearly heating requirements are reduced by 17% in a cold climate. - Abstract: As energy availability and demand often do not match, thermal energy storage plays a crucial role to take advantage of solar radiation in buildings: in particular, latent heat storage via phase-change material is particularly attractive due to its ability to provide high energy storage density. This paper analyzes the performance of a building-integrated thermal storage system to increase the energy performances of solaria in a cold climate. A wall opposing a highly glazed façade (south oriented) is used as thermal storage with phase change materials embedded in the wall. The study is based on both experimental and simulation studies. The concept considered is particularly suited to retrofits in a solarium since the PCM can be added as layers facing the large window on the vertical wall directly opposite. Results indicate that this PCM thermal storage system is effective during the whole year in a cold climate. The thermal storage allows solar radiation to be stored and released up to 6–8 h after solar irradiation: this has effects on both the reduction of daily temperature swings (up to 10 °C) and heating requirements (more than 17% on a yearly base). Coupling of the thermal storage system with natural ventilation is important during mid-seasons and summer to improve the PCM charge-discharge cycles and to reduce overheating. Results also show that cooling is less important than heating, reaching up to 20% of the overall annual energy requirements for the city of Montreal, Canada. Moreover, the phase change temperature range of the material used (18–24 �

Structural Changes in the Surface of Red Blood Cell Membranes during Long-Term Donor Blood Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. V. Moroz

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: to study changes in the surface of red blood cell membranes of donor blood at the macro- and ultrastructural level during its storage for 30 days and to evaluate the functional state of the red blood cell membrane during the whole storage period. Material and methods. The investigation was conducted on human whole blood and packed red blood cells placed in the specialized packs containing the preservative CPDA-1, by using calibrated electroporation and atomic force microscopy and measuring plasma pH. Conclusion. The long-term, up to 30-day, storage of whole blood and packed red blood cells at 4°C was attended by lower plasma pH and increased hemolysis rate constant during calibrated electroporation and by the development of oxidative processes. The hemolysis rate constant was also higher in the packed red blood cells than that in the whole blood. On days 5—6, the membrane structure showed defects that developed, as the blood was stored, and caused irreversible cell membrane damage by day 30. Key words: donor blood, red blood cell membranes, atomic force microscopy.

Candidate thermal energy storage technologies for solar industrial process heat applications

Science.gov (United States)

Furman, E. R.

1979-01-01

A number of candidate thermal energy storage system elements were identified as having the potential for the successful application of solar industrial process heat. These elements which include storage media, containment and heat exchange are shown.

Second law characterization of stratified thermal storage tanks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fraidenraich, N [Departamento de Energia Nuclear-UFPE (Brazil)

2000-07-01

It is well known that fluid stratification in thermal storage tanks improves the overall performance of solar thermal systems, when compared with systems operating with uniform fluid temperature. From the point of view of the first law of thermodynamics, no difference exists between storage tanks with the same mass and average temperature, even if they have different stratified thermal structures. Nevertheless, the useful thermal energy that can be obtained from them might differ significantly. In this work, we derive an expression able to characterize the stratified configuration of thermal fluid. Using results obtained by thermodynamics of irreversible processes, the procedure adopted consists in calculating the maximum work available from the tank's thermal layer is able to develop. We arrive, then, at a dimensionless expression, the stratification parameter (SP), which depends on the mass fraction and absolute temperature of each thermal layer as well as the thermal fluid average temperature. Numerical examples for different types of tank stratification are given and it is verified that the expression obtained is sensitive to small differences in the reservoir thermal configuration. For example a thermal storage with temperatures equal to 74 Celsius degrees, 64 Celsius degrees and 54 Celsius degrees, with its mass equally distributed along the tank yields, for the parameter SP, a figure equal to 0.000294. On the other hand a storage tank with the same average temperature but with different layer's temperatures 76 Celsius degrees, 64 and 52 Celsius degrees, also with uniform mass distribution, yields for SP a value equal to quantitative evaluation of the stratification structure of thermal reservoirs. [Spanish] Es bien conocido que la estratificacion fluida en tanques de almacenamiento termico mejora el rendimiento total de los sistemas termicos solares en comparacion con sistemas que operan con temperatura uniforme del fluido. Desde el punto de vista

Aquifer thermal energy storage reference manual: seasonal thermal energy storage program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prater, L.S.

1980-01-01

This is the reference manual of the Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage (STES) Program, and is the primary document for the transfer of technical information of the STES Program. It has been issued in preliminary form and will be updated periodically to include more technical data and results of research. As the program progresses and new technical data become available, sections of the manual will be revised to incorporate these data. This primary document contains summaries of: the TRW, incorporated demonstration project at Behtel, Alaska, Dames and Moore demonstration project at Stony Brook, New York, and the University of Minnesota demonstration project at Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; the technical support programs including legal/institutional assessment; economic assessment; environmental assessment; field test facilities; a compendia of existing information; numerical simulation; and non-aquifer STES concepts. (LCL)

Thermal curing of PBI membranes for high temperature PEM fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aili, David; Cleemann, Lars N.; Li, Qingfeng

2012-01-01

(MEAs) is currently hampering the commercial viability of the technology. In the present study, thermoset PBI membranes were prepared by curing the membranes under inert atmosphere at temperatures of up to 350 °C prior to the acid doping. The systematic membrane characterizations with respect...... to solubility, phosphoric acid doping, radical-oxidative resistance and mechanical strength indicated that the PBI membranes were irreversibly cured by the thermal treatment. After curing, the PBI membranes demonstrated features that are fundamental characteristics of a thermoset resin including complete...

Do encapsulated heat storage materials really retain their original thermal properties?

Science.gov (United States)

Chaiyasat, Preeyaporn; Noppalit, Sayrung; Okubo, Masayoshi; Chaiyasat, Amorn

2015-01-14

The encapsulation of Rubitherm®27 (RT27), which is one of the most common commercially supplied heat storage materials, by polystyrene (PS), polydivinyl benzene (PDVB) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was carried out using conventional radical microsuspension polymerization. The products were purified to remove free RT27 and free polymer particles without RT27. In the cases of PS and PDVB microcapsules, the latent heats of melting and crystallization for RT27 ( and , J/g-RT27) were clearly decreased by the encapsulation. On the other hand, those of the PMMA microcapsules were the same as pure RT27. A supercooling phenomenon was observed not only for PS and PDVB but also for the PMMA microcapsules. These results indicate that the thermal properties of the heat storage materials encapsulated depend on the type of polymer shells, i.e., encapsulation by polymer shell changes the thermal properties of RT27. This is quite different from the idea of other groups in the world, in which they discussed the thermal properties based on the ΔHm and ΔHc values expressed in J/g-capsule, assuming that the thermal properties of the heat storage materials are not changed by the encapsulation. Hereafter, this report should raise an alarm concerning the "wrong" common knowledge behind developing the encapsulation technology of heat storage materials.

Eutectic mixtures of some fatty acids for latent heat storage: Thermal properties and thermal reliability with respect to thermal cycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sari, Ahmet

2006-01-01

Accelerated thermal cycle tests have been conducted to study the change in melting temperatures and latent heats of fusion of the eutectic mixtures of lauric acid (LA)-myristic acid (MA), lauric acid (LA)-palmitic acid (PA) and myristic acid (MA)-stearic acid (SA) as latent heat storage materials. The thermal properties of these materials were determined by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis method. The thermal reliability of the eutectic mixtures after melt/freeze cycles of 720, 1080 and 1460 was also evaluated using the DSC curves. The accelerated thermal cycle tests indicate that the melting temperatures usually tend to decrease, and the variations in the latent heats of fusion are irregular with increasing number of thermal cycles. Moreover, the probable reasons for the change in thermal properties of the eutectic mixtures after repeated thermal cycles were investigated. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic analysis indicates that the accelerated melt/freeze processes do not cause any degradation in the chemical structure of the mixtures. The change in thermal properties of the eutectic mixtures with increasing number of thermal cycles is only because of the presence of certain amounts of impurities in the fatty acids used in their preparation. It is concluded that the tested eutectic mixtures have reasonable thermal properties and thermal reliability as phase change materials (PCMs) for latent heat storage in any solar heating applications that include a four year utilization period

Phase change thermal storage for a solar total energy system

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, R. E.; Cohen, B. M.

1978-01-01

An analytical and experimental program is being conducted on a one-tenth scale model of a high-temperature (584 K) phase-change thermal energy storage system for installation in a solar total energy test facility at Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. The thermal storage medium is anhydrous sodium hydroxide with 8% sodium nitrate. The program will produce data on the dynamic response of the system to repeated cycles of charging and discharging simulating those of the test facility. Data will be correlated with a mathematical model which will then be used in the design of the full-scale system.

Advanced latent heat of fusion thermal energy storage for solar power systems

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, W. M.; Stearns, J. W.

1985-01-01

The use of solar thermal power systems coupled with thermal energy storage (TES) is being studied for both terrestrial and space applications. In the case of terrestrial applications, it was found that one or two hours of TES could shift the insolation peak (solar noon) to coincide with user peak loads. The use of a phase change material (PCM) is attractive because of the higher energy storage density which can be achieved. However, the use of PCM has also certain disadvantages which must be addressed. Proof of concept testing was undertaken to evaluate corrosive effects and thermal ratcheting effects in a slurry system. It is concluded that the considered alkali metal/alkali salt slurry approach to TES appears to be very viable, taking into account an elimination of thermal ratcheting in storage systems and the reduction of corrosive effects. The approach appears to be useful for an employment involving temperatures applicable to Brayton or Stirling cycles.

Experimental investigation on charging and discharging performance of absorption thermal energy storage system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xiaoling; Li, Minzhi; Shi, Wenxing; Wang, Baolong; Li, Xianting

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A prototype of ATES using LiBr/H 2 O was designed and built. • Charging and discharging performances of ATES system were investigated. • ESE and ESD for cooling, domestic hot water and heating were obtained. - Abstract: Because of high thermal storage density and little heat loss, absorption thermal energy storage (ATES) is known as a potential thermal energy storage (TES) technology. To investigate the performance of the ATES system with LiBr–H 2 O, a prototype with 10 kW h cooling storage capacity was designed and built. The experiments demonstrated that charging and discharging processes are successful in producing 7 °C chilled water, 65 °C domestic hot water, or 43 °C heating water to meet the user’s requirements. Characteristics such as temperature, concentration and power variation of the ATES system during charging and discharging processes were investigated. The performance of the ATES system for supplying cooling, heating or domestic hot water was analyzed and compared. The results indicate that the energy storage efficiencies (ESE) for cooling, domestic hot water and heating are 0.51, 0.97, 1.03, respectively, and the energy storage densities (ESD) for cooling, domestic hot water and heating reach 42, 88, 110 kW h/m 3 , respectively. The performance is better than those of previous TES systems, which proves that the ATES system using LiBr–H 2 O may be a good option for thermal energy storage

Impact of Storage and Purification on Mitochondrial Membrane Potential of Boar Spermatozoa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aristotelis G. Lymberopoulos

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the effect of semen purification and storage on sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm. Gel-free whole ejaculates were collected from five proven fertile Large White boars aged two to three years. Aliquots of fresh semen were split, diluted in one step with commercial extenders and incubated at 37oC for 5-10 minutes. Semen was cooled to 18oC and packaged in 15-ml sterile propylene tubes. After 4-10 hours post-semen collection, stored semen was purified by colloidal centrifugation. After 48 hours post-semen collection, stored semen was incubated at 37oC and evaluated after 45 minutes for motility, velocity and sperm ΔΨm. Samples were stained with 2.99 μM JC-1 and 2.32 μM EH-1 and assessed by Fluorescence microscopy. After centrifugation a significant improvement of motility (P<0.035, and velocity (P<0.012 was noticed. The percentage of spermatozoa with intact plasma membrane and high/low mitochondrial membrane potential was statistical higher after centrifugation and storage at 18°C for 48 hours. In conclusion, colloidal purification of boar semen can improve sperm quality and  mitochondrial membrane potential.

Optimization of the dynamic and thermal performance of a resonant micro heat engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardaweel, H K; Richards, R F; Richards, C D; Anderson, M J

2008-01-01

The dynamic behavior of a flexing membrane micro heat engine is presented. The micro heat engine consists of a cavity filled with a saturated, two-phase working fluid bounded on the top by a flexible expander membrane and on the bottom by a stiff evaporator membrane. A lumped parameter model is developed to simulate the dynamic behavior of the micro heat engine. First, the model is validated against experimental data. Then, the model is used to investigate the effect of the duration of the heat addition process, the mass of the expander membrane and the thermal storage or thermal inertia associated with the engine cavity on the dynamic behavior of the micro engine. The results show the optimal duration for the heat addition process to be less than 10% of the engine cycle period. Increasing the mass of the flexible expander membrane is shown to reduce the resonant frequency of the engine to 130 Hz. Operating the engine at resonance leads to increased power output. The thermal storage or thermal inertia associated with the engine cavity is shown to have a strong effect on engine performance

High-Temperature Thermal Energy Storage for electrification and district heating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, A. Schrøder; Engelbrecht, K.; Soprani, S.

stability upon thermal cycling. The most promising material consists of basalt, diabase, and magnetite, whereas the less suited rocks contain larger proportions of quartz and mica. An HT-TES system, containing 1.5 m3 of rock pieces, was constructed. The rock bed was heated to 600 ˚C using an electric heater......The present work describes development of a High Temperature Thermal Energy Storage (HT-TES) system based on rock bed technology. A selection of rocks was investigated by thermal analysis in the range 20-800 ˚C. Subsequently, a shortlist was defined primarily based on mechanical and chemical...... to simulate thermal charging from wind energy. After complete heating of the rock bed it was left fully charged for hours to simulate actual storage conditions. Subsequently the bed discharging was performed by leading cold air through the rock bed whereby the air was heated and led to an exhaust. The results...

STP-ECRTS - THERMAL AND GAS ANALYSES FOR SLUDGE TRANSPORT AND STORAGE CONTAINER (STSC) STORAGE AT T PLANT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

CROWE RD; APTHORPE R; LEE SJ; PLYS MG

2010-04-29

The Sludge Treatment Project (STP) is responsible for the disposition of sludge contained in the six engineered containers and Settler tank within the 105-K West (KW) Basin. The STP is retrieving and transferring sludge from the Settler tank into engineered container SCS-CON-230. Then, the STP will retrieve and transfer sludge from the six engineered containers in the KW Basin directly into a Sludge Transport and Storage Containers (STSC) contained in a Sludge Transport System (STS) cask. The STSC/STS cask will be transported to T Plant for interim storage of the STSC. The STS cask will be loaded with an empty STSC and returned to the KW Basin for loading of additional sludge for transportation and interim storage at T Plant. CH2MHILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) contracted with Fauske & Associates, LLC (FAI) to perform thermal and gas generation analyses for interim storage of STP sludge in the Sludge Transport and Storage Container (STSCs) at T Plant. The sludge types considered are settler sludge and sludge originating from the floor of the KW Basin and stored in containers 210 and 220, which are bounding compositions. The conditions specified by CHPRC for analysis are provided in Section 5. The FAI report (FAI/10-83, Thermal and Gas Analyses for a Sludge Transport and Storage Container (STSC) at T Plant) (refer to Attachment 1) documents the analyses. The process considered was passive, interim storage of sludge in various cells at T Plant. The FATE{trademark} code is used for the calculation. The results are shown in terms of the peak sludge temperature and hydrogen concentrations in the STSC and the T Plant cell. In particular, the concerns addressed were the thermal stability of the sludge and the potential for flammable gas mixtures. This work was performed with preliminary design information and a preliminary software configuration.

Porous polymeric membranes with thermal and solvent resistance

KAUST Repository

Pulido, Bruno

2017-05-30

Polymeric membranes are highly advantageous over their ceramic counterparts in terms of the simplicity of the manufacturing process, cost and scalability. Their main disadvantages are low stability at temperatures above 200 °C, and in organic solvents. We report for the first time porous polymeric membranes manufactured from poly(oxindolebiphenylylene) (POXI), a polymer with thermal stability as high as 500 °C in oxidative conditions. The membranes were prepared by solution casting and phase inversion by immersion in water. The asymmetric porous morphology was characterized by scanning electronic microscopy. The pristine membranes are stable in alcohols, acetone, acetonitrile and hexane, as well as in aqueous solutions with pH between 0 and 14. The membrane stability was extended for application in other organic solvents by crosslinking, using various dibromides, and the efficiency of the different crosslinkers was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). POXI crosslinked membranes are stable up to 329 °C in oxidative conditions and showed organic solvent resistance in polar aprotic solvents with 99% rejection of Red Direct 80 in DMF at 70 °C. With this development, the application of polymeric membranes could be extended to high temperature and harsh environments, fields currently dominated by ceramic membranes.

Thermal Analysis of Fission Moly Target Solid Waste Storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Son, Hyung Min; Park, Jonghark [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

There are various ways to produce Mo-99. Among them, nuclear transmutation of uranium target became the major one owing to its superior specific activity. After the fission molybdenum (FM) target is irradiated, it is transported to treatment facility to extract wanted isotope. During the process, various forms of wastes are produced including filter cake and other solid wastes. The filter cake is mostly consisted of decaying uranium compounds. The solid wastes are then packaged and moved to storage facility which will stay there for considerable amount of time. Being the continuous source of heat, the solid wastes are required to be cooled for the certain amount of time before transported to the storage area. In this study, temperature evaluation of the storage facility is carried out with pre-cooling time sensitivity to check its thermal integrity. In this study, thermal analysis on the FM target solid waste storage is performed. Finite volume method is utilized to numerically discretize and solve the geometry of interest. Analysis shows that the developed method can simulate temperature behavior during storage process, but needs to be checked against other code to see calculation accuracy. Highest temperature distribution is observed when every hole is filled with waste containers. Sensitivity results on pre-cooling time shows that at least 13 months of cooling is necessary to keep the structure integrity.

Techno-Economic Assessment of Heat Transfer Fluid Buffering for Thermal Energy Storage in the Solar Field of Parabolic Trough Solar Thermal Power Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge M. Llamas

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Currently, operating parabolic trough (PT solar thermal power plants, either solar-only or with thermal storage block, use the solar field as a heat transfer fluid (HTF thermal storage system to provide extra thermal capacity when it is needed. This is done by circulating heat transfer fluid into the solar field piping in order to create a heat fluid buffer. In the same way, by oversizing the solar field, it can work as an alternative thermal energy storage (TES system to the traditionally applied methods. This paper presents a solar field TES model for a standard solar field from a 50-MWe solar power plant. An oversized solar model is analyzed to increase the capacity storage system (HTF buffering. A mathematical model has been developed and different simulations have been carried out over a cycle of one year with six different solar multiples considered to represent the different oversized solar field configurations. Annual electricity generation and levelized cost of energy (LCOE are calculated to find the solar multiple (SM which makes the highest solar field thermal storage capacity possible within the minimum LCOE.

Modelling and monitoring of Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage : impacts of soil heterogeneity, thermal interference and bioremediation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sommer, W.T.

2015-01-01

Modelling and monitoring of Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage

Impacts of heterogeneity, thermal interference and bioremediation

Wijbrand Sommer
PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, NL (2015)
ISBN 978-94-6257-294-2

Abstract

Aquifer

Numerical investigation of a joint approach to thermal energy storage and compressed air energy storage in aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Chaobin; Zhang, Keni; Pan, Lehua; Cai, Zuansi; Li, Cai; Li, Yi

2017-01-01

Highlights: •One wellbore-reservoir numerical model was built to study the impact of ATES on CAESA. •With high injection temperature, the joint of ATES can improve CAESA performance. •The considerable utilization of geothermal occurs only at the beginning of operations. •Combination of CAESA and ATES can be achieved in common aquifers. -- Abstract: Different from conventional compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems, the advanced adiabatic compressed air energy storage (AA-CAES) system can store the compression heat which can be used to reheat air during the electricity generation stage. Thus, AA-CAES system can achieve a higher energy storage efficiency. Similar to the AA-CAES system, a compressed air energy storage in aquifers (CAESA) system, which is integrated with an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) could possibly achieve the same objective. In order to investigate the impact of ATES on the performance of CAESA, different injection air temperature schemes are designed and analyzed by using numerical simulations. Key parameters relative to energy recovery efficiencies of the different injection schemes, such as pressure distribution and temperature variation within the aquifers as well as energy flow rate in the injection well, are also investigated in this study. The simulations show that, although different injection schemes have a similar overall energy recovery efficiency (∼97%) as well as a thermal energy recovery efficiency (∼79.2%), the higher injection air temperature has a higher energy storage capability. Our results show the total energy storage for the injection air temperature at 80 °C is about 10% greater than the base model scheme at 40 °C. Sensitivity analysis reveal that permeability of the reservoir boundary could have significant impact on the system performance. However, other hydrodynamic and thermodynamic properties, such as the storage reservoir permeability, thermal conductivity, rock grain specific heat and rock

Predictive Optimal Control of Active and Passive Building Thermal Storage Inventory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gregor P. Henze; Moncef Krarti

2005-09-30

Cooling of commercial buildings contributes significantly to the peak demand placed on an electrical utility grid. Time-of-use electricity rates encourage shifting of electrical loads to off-peak periods at night and weekends. Buildings can respond to these pricing signals by shifting cooling-related thermal loads either by precooling the building's massive structure or the use of active thermal energy storage systems such as ice storage. While these two thermal batteries have been engaged separately in the past, this project investigated the merits of harnessing both storage media concurrently in the context of predictive optimal control. To pursue the analysis, modeling, and simulation research of Phase 1, two separate simulation environments were developed. Based on the new dynamic building simulation program EnergyPlus, a utility rate module, two thermal energy storage models were added. Also, a sequential optimization approach to the cost minimization problem using direct search, gradient-based, and dynamic programming methods was incorporated. The objective function was the total utility bill including the cost of reheat and a time-of-use electricity rate either with or without demand charges. An alternative simulation environment based on TRNSYS and Matlab was developed to allow for comparison and cross-validation with EnergyPlus. The initial evaluation of the theoretical potential of the combined optimal control assumed perfect weather prediction and match between the building model and the actual building counterpart. The analysis showed that the combined utilization leads to cost savings that is significantly greater than either storage but less than the sum of the individual savings. The findings reveal that the cooling-related on-peak electrical demand of commercial buildings can be considerably reduced. A subsequent analysis of the impact of forecasting uncertainty in the required short-term weather forecasts determined that it takes only very

Investigation of Stratified Thermal Storage Tank Performance for Heating and Cooling Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azharul Karim

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A large amount of energy is consumed by heating and cooling systems to provide comfort conditions for commercial building occupants, which generally contribute to peak electricity demands. Thermal storage tanks in HVAC systems, which store heating/cooling energy in the off-peak period for use in the peak period, can be used to offset peak time energy demand. In this study, a theoretical investigation on stratified thermal storage systems is performed to determine the factors that significantly influence the thermal performance of these systems for both heating and cooling applications. Five fully-insulated storage tank geometries, using water as the storage medium, were simulated to determine the effects of water inlet velocity, tank aspect ratio and temperature difference between charging (inlet and the tank water on mixing and thermocline formation. Results indicate that thermal stratification enhances with increased temperature difference, lower inlet velocities and higher aspect ratios. It was also found that mixing increased by 303% when the temperature difference between the tank and inlet water was reduced from 80 °C to 10 °C, while decreasing the aspect ratio from 3.8 to 1.0 increased mixing by 143%. On the other hand, increasing the inlet water velocity significantly increased the storage mixing. A new theoretical relationship between the inlet water velocity and thermocline formation has been developed. It was also found that inlet flow rates can be increased, without increasing the mixing, after the formation of the thermocline.

High Density Thermal Energy Storage with Supercritical Fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Ganapathi, Gani B.; Wirz, Richard

2012-01-01

A novel approach to storing thermal energy with supercritical fluids is being investigated, which if successful, promises to transform the way thermal energy is captured and utilized. The use of supercritical fluids allows cost-affordable high-density storage with a combination of latent heat and sensible heat in the two-phase as well as the supercritical state. This technology will enhance penetration of several thermal power generation applications and high temperature water for commercial use if the overall cost of the technology can be demonstrated to be lower than the current state-of-the-art molten salt using sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate eutectic mixtures.

Thermal energy storage for low grade heat in the organic Rankine cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Soda, Michael John

Limits of efficiencies cause immense amounts of thermal energy in the form of waste heat to be vented to the atmosphere. Up to 60% of unrecovered waste heat is classified as low or ultra-low quality, making recovery difficult or inefficient. The organic Rankine cycle can be used to generate mechanical power and electricity from these low temperatures where other thermal cycles are impractical. A variety of organic working fluids are available to optimize the ORC for any target temperature range. San Diego State University has one such experimental ORC using R245fa, and has been experimenting with multiple expanders. One limitation of recovering waste heat is the sporadic or cyclical nature common to its production. This inconsistency makes sizing heat recovery ORC systems difficult for a variety of reasons including off-design-point efficiency loss, increased attrition from varying loads, unreliable outputs, and overall system costs. Thermal energy storage systems can address all of these issues by smoothing the thermal input to a constant and reliable level and providing back-up capacity for times when the thermal input is deactivated. Multiple types of thermal energy storage have been explored including sensible, latent, and thermochemical. Latent heat storage involves storing thermal energy in the reversible phase change of a phase change material, or PCM, and can have several advantages over other modalities including energy storage density, cost, simplicity, reliability, relatively constant temperature output, and temperature customizability. The largest obstacles to using latent heat storage include heat transfer rates, thermal cycling stability, and potentially corrosive PCMs. Targeting 86°C, the operating temperature of SDSU's experimental ORC, multiple potential materials were explored and tested as potential PCMs including Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate (MgCl2˙6H2O), Magnesium Nitrate Hexahydrate (Mg(NO3)2˙6H 2O), montan wax, and carnauba wax. The

An improved method for upscaling borehole thermal energy storage using inverse finite element modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tordrup, Karl Woldum; Poulsen, Søren Erbs; Bjørn, Henrik

2017-01-01

Dimensioning of large-scale borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) is inherently uncertain due to the natural variability of thermal conductivity and heat capacity in the storage volume. We present an improved method for upscaling a pilot BTES to full scale and apply the method to an operational...

Characterization of Thermally Cross-Linkable Hollow Fiber Membranes for Natural Gas Separation

KAUST Repository

Chen, Chien-Chiang

2013-01-23

The performance of thermally cross-linkable hollow fiber membranes for CO2/CH4 separation and the membrane stability against CO2 plasticization was investigated. The fiber membranes were thermally cross-linked at various conditions. Cross-linking temperature was found to have a significant effect, while shorter soak time and the presence of trace oxidizer (O2 or N2O) had a negligible effect. The cross-linked fibers were tested using high CO2 content feeds (50-70% CO2) at a variety of feed pressures (up to 1000 psia), temperatures, and permeate pressures (up to 100 psia) to evaluate membrane performance under various realistic operating conditions. The results demonstrated that cross-linking improves membrane selectivity and effectively eliminates swelling-induced hydrocarbon loss at high pressures. Excellent stability under aggressive feeds (with CO2 partial pressure up to 700 psia) suggests that cross-linked hollow fiber membranes have great potential for use in diverse aggressive applications, even beyond the CO2/CH4 example explored in this work. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Summary Report for Concentrating Solar Power Thermal Storage Workshop: New Concepts and Materials for Thermal Energy Storage and Heat-Transfer Fluids, May 20, 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glatzmaier, G.

2011-08-01

This document summarizes a workshop on thermal energy storage for concentrating solar power (CSP) that was held in Golden, Colorado, on May 20, 2011. The event was hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories. The objective was to engage the university and laboratory research communities to identify and define research directions for developing new high-temperature materials and systems that advance thermal energy storage for CSP technologies. This workshop was motivated, in part, by the DOE SunShot Initiative, which sets a very aggressive cost goal for CSP technologies -- a levelized cost of energy of 6 cents per kilowatt-hour by 2020 with no incentives or credits.

On the thermal noise limit of cellular membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vincze, Gy; Szasz, N; Szasz, A

2005-01-01

Comparison of thermal noise limits and the effects of low frequency electromagnetic fields (LFEMF) on the cellular membrane have important implications for the study of bioelectro-magnetism in this regime. Over a decade ago, Weaver and Astumian developed a model to show that thermal noise can limit the efficacy of LFEMF. A recent report by Kaune [Kaune (2002) Bioelectromagnetics 23:622-628], however, contradicted their findings. Kaune assumes that the conductance noise current of cell membrane can be decomposed into two components, where one of them is identical regarding all segments (coherent), while the other is different (incoherent). Besides, this decomposition is not unequivocal and contradicts to the statistical independence of the segment noise currents, and therefore to the second law of thermodynamics as well. We suggest the procedure based on the method of symmetrical components, by the means of which we can re-interpret the result of Kaune in a correct way. 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Thermal energy storage technologies for sustainability systems design, assessment and applications

CERN Document Server

Kalaiselvam, S

2014-01-01

Thermal Energy Storage Technologies for Sustainability is a broad-based overview describing the state-of-the-art in latent, sensible, and thermo-chemical energy storage systems and their applications across industries. Beginning with a discussion of the efficiency and conservation advantages of balancing energy demand with production, the book goes on to describe current state-of-the art technologies. Not stopping with description, the authors also discuss design, modeling, and simulation of representative systems, and end with several case studies of systems in use.Describes how thermal energ

Thermal safety analysis of a dry storage cask for the Korean standard spent fuel - 16159

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cha, Jeonghun; Kim, S.N.; Choi, K.W.

2009-01-01

A conceptual dry storage facility, which is based on a commercial dry storage facility, was designed for the Korea standard spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and preliminary thermal safety analysis was performed in this study. To perform the preliminary thermal analysis, a thermal analysis method was proposed. The thermal analysis method consists of 2 parts. By using the method, the surface temperature of the storage canister corresponding to the SNF clad temperature was calculated and the adequate air duct area was decided using the calculation result. The initial temperature of the facility was calculated and the fire condition and half air duct blockage were analyzed. (authors)

Experiment study on the thermal properties of paraffin/kaolin thermal energy storage form-stable phase change materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lv, Peizhao; Liu, Chenzhen; Rao, Zhonghao

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Different particle sizes of kaolin were employed to load paraffin. • The effects and reasons of particle size on thermal conductivity were studied. • Thermal property and thermal stability of the composites were investigated. • The leakage and thermal storage and release rate of the composites were studied. • The effect of vacuum impregnation method on thermal conductivity was investigated. - Abstract: In this paper, different particle sizes of kaolin were employed to incorporate paraffin via vacuum impregnation method. The paraffin/kaolin composites were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Thermogravimetry (TG). The results showed that the paraffin/kaolin composite with the largest particle size of kaolin (K4) has the highest thermal conductivity (0.413 W/(m K) at 20 °C) among the diverse composites. The latent heat capacity of paraffin/K4 is 119.49 J/g and the phase change temperature is 62.4 °C. In addition, the thermal properties and thermal conductivities of paraffin/K4 with different mass fraction of K4 (0–60%) were investigated. The thermal conductivities of the composites were explained in microcosmic field. The phonon mean free path determines the thermal conductivity, and it can be significantly affected by temperature and the contact surface area. The leaks, thermal storage and release properties of pure paraffin and paraffin/kaolin composites were investigated and the composites presented good thermal stabilities.

Effects of alpha-lipoic acids on sperm membrane integrity during liquid storage of boar semen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Parlapan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Preliminary studies have shown that sperm membrane from swine shows high sensitivity to cryopreservation process, causing a dramatic reduction in sperm quality. This has been attributed to the production of reactive oxygen species, that cause lipid peroxidation in sperm membranes. The aim of the present study was to minimize the oxidative attack by adding different concentration of alpha-lipoic acid into the sperm liquid storage at 17ºC for 7 days. Freshly ejaculated boar semen was diluted with Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS and supplemented with 5 levels of alpha-lipoic  acid (0.015, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 mmol/ml. The membrane integrity was evaluated at days 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 of liquid preservation, using flow cytometer FACSCanto II (BD Biociencias systems. The experiment indicate that supplementation of alpha-lipoic  acid to the semen liquid storage extender improve sperm membrane

Nanoparticles for heat transfer and thermal energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Dileep; Cingarapu, Sreeram; Timofeeva, Elena V.; Moravek, Michael

2015-07-14

An article of manufacture and method of preparation thereof. The article of manufacture and method of making the article includes an eutectic salt solution suspensions and a plurality of nanocrystalline phase change material particles having a coating disposed thereon and the particles capable of undergoing the phase change which provides increase in thermal energy storage. In addition, other articles of manufacture can include a nanofluid additive comprised of nanometer-sized particles consisting of copper decorated graphene particles that provide advanced thermal conductivity to heat transfer fluids.

Computational Design of Non-natural Sugar Alcohols to Increase Thermal Storage Density: Beyond Existing Organic Phase Change Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Inagaki, Taichi; Ishida, Toyokazu

2016-09-14

Thermal storage, a technology that enables us to control thermal energy, makes it possible to reuse a huge amount of waste heat, and materials with the ability to treat larger thermal energy are in high demand for energy-saving societies. Sugar alcohols are now one promising candidate for phase change materials (PCMs) because of their large thermal storage density. In this study, we computationally design experimentally unknown non-natural sugar alcohols and predict their thermal storage density as a basic step toward the development of new high performance PCMs. The non-natural sugar alcohol molecules are constructed in silico in accordance with the previously suggested molecular design guidelines: linear elongation of a carbon backbone, separated distribution of OH groups, and even numbers of carbon atoms. Their crystal structures are then predicted using the random search method and first-principles calculations. Our molecular simulation results clearly demonstrate that the non-natural sugar alcohols have potential ability to have thermal storage density up to ∼450-500 kJ/kg, which is significantly larger than the maximum thermal storage density of the present known organic PCMs (∼350 kJ/kg). This computational study suggests that, even in the case of H-bonded molecular crystals where the electrostatic energy contributes mainly to thermal storage density, the molecular distortion and van der Waals energies are also important factors to increase thermal storage density. In addition, the comparison between the three eight-carbon non-natural sugar alcohol isomers indicates that the selection of preferable isomers is also essential for large thermal storage density.

Seasonal thermal energy storage in shallow geothermal systems: thermal equilibrium stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nowamooz Hossein

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is dedicated to the study of seasonal heat storage in shallow geothermal installations in unsaturated soils for which hydrothermal properties such as degree of saturation and thermal conductivity vary with time throughout the profile. In the model, a semi-analytical model which estimates time-spatial thermal conductivity is coupled with a 2D cylindrical heat transfer modeling using finite difference method. The variation of temperature was obtained after 3 heating and cooling cycles for the different types of loads with maximum thermal load of qmax = 15 W.m−1 with variable angular frequency (8 months of heating and 4 months of cooling.and constant angular frequency (6 months of heating and 6 months of cooling to estimate the necessary number of cycles to reach the thermal equilibrium stage. The results show that we approach a thermal equilibrium stage where the same variation of temperature can be observed in soils after several heating and cooling cycles. Based on these simulations, the necessary number of cycles can be related to the total applied energy on the system and the minimum number of cycles is for a system with the total applied energy of 1.9qmax.

The thermal impact of aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) systems: a case study in the Netherlands, combining monitoring and modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Visser, Philip W.; Kooi, Henk; Stuyfzand, Pieter J.

2015-05-01

Results are presented of a comprehensive thermal impact study on an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system in Bilthoven, the Netherlands. The study involved monitoring of the thermal impact and modeling of the three-dimensional temperature evolution of the storage aquifer and over- and underlying units. Special attention was paid to non-uniformity of the background temperature, which varies laterally and vertically in the aquifer. Two models were applied with different levels of detail regarding initial conditions and heterogeneity of hydraulic and thermal properties: a fine-scale heterogeneity model which construed the lateral and vertical temperature distribution more realistically, and a simplified model which represented the aquifer system with only a limited number of homogeneous layers. Fine-scale heterogeneity was shown to be important to accurately model the ATES-impacted vertical temperature distribution and the maximum and minimum temperatures in the storage aquifer, and the spatial extent of the thermal plumes. The fine-scale heterogeneity model resulted in larger thermally impacted areas and larger temperature anomalies than the simplified model. The models showed that scattered and scarce monitoring data of ATES-induced temperatures can be interpreted in a useful way by groundwater and heat transport modeling, resulting in a realistic assessment of the thermal impact.

Influence of nanomaterials on properties of latent heat solar thermal energy storage materials – A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raam Dheep, G.; Sreekumar, A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Classification of phase change materials. • Studies on phase change properties of various phase change materials. • Influence of nanomaterials on properties of phase change materials. - Abstract: Thermal energy storage system plays a critical role in developing an efficient solar energy device. As far as solar thermal devices are concerned, there is always a mismatch between supply and demand due to intermittent and unpredictable nature of solar radiation. A well designed thermal energy storage system is capable to alleviate this demerit by providing a constant energy delivery to the load. Many research works is being carried out to determine the suitability of thermal energy storage system to integrate with solar thermal gadgets. This review paper summarizes the numerous investigations on latent heat thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCM) and its classification, properties, selection criteria, potential research areas and studies involved to analyze the thermal–physical properties of PCM

Influence of accelerated thermal charging and discharging cycles on thermo-physical properties of organic phase change materials for solar thermal energy storage applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raam Dheep, G.; Sreekumar, A.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Identification of organic phase change materials namely benzamide and sebacic acid. • Thermal reliability studies on identified phase change materials. • Measurement of phase transition temperature and latent heat of fusion. • Analysis of relative percentage difference (RPD%) in heat of fusion and melting temperature of benzamide and sebacic acid. - Abstract: Integration of appropriate thermal energy storage system plays a predominant role in upgrading the efficiency of solar thermal energy devices by reducing the incongruity between energy supply and demand. Latent heat thermal energy storage based on phase change materials (PCM) is found to be the most efficient and prospective method for storage of solar thermal energy. Ensuring the thermal reliability of PCM through large number of charging (melting) and discharging (solidification) cycles is a primary prerequisite to determine the suitability of PCM for a specific thermal energy storage applications. The present study explains the experimental analysis carried out on two PCM’s namely benzamide and sebacic acid to check the compatibility of the material in solar thermal energy storage applications. The selected materials were subjected to one thousand accelerated melting and solidification cycles in order to investigate the percentage of variation at different stages on latent heat of fusion, phase transition temperature, onset and peak melting temperature. Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) was used to determine the phase transition temperature and heat of fusion upon completion of every 100 thermal cycles and continued up to 1000 cycles. Relative Percentage Difference (RPD%) is calculated to find out the absolute deviation of melting temperature and latent heat of fusion with respect to zeroth cycle. The experimental study recorded a melting temperatures of benzamide and sebacic acid as 125.09 °C and 135.92 °C with latent heat of fusion of 285.1 (J/g) and 374.4 (J/g). The

Application of nanomaterials in solar thermal energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Shamshirgaran, Seyed Reza; Khalaji Assadi, Morteza; Viswanatha Sharma, Korada

2018-06-01

Solar thermal conversion technology harvests the sun's energy, rather than fossil fuels, to generate low-cost, low/zero-emission energy in the form of heating, cooling or electrical form for residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. The advent of nanofluids and nanocomposites or phase change materials, is a new field of study which is adapted to enhance the efficiency of solar collectors. The concepts of thermal energy storage technologies are investigated and the role of nanomaterials in energy conversion is discussed. This review revealed that although the exploitation of nanomaterials will boost the performance of solar collectors almost in all cases, this would be accompanied by certain challenges such as production cost, instability, agglomeration and erosion. Earlier studies have dealt with the enhancement of thermal conductivity and heat capacity; however, less attention has been given to the facing challenges. Moreover, no exact criteria can be found for the selection of appropriate nanomaterials and their properties for a specific application. In most research studies, the nanoparticles' material and properties have not been selected based on estimated values so that all the aspects of desired application could be considered simultaneously. The wide spread use of nanomaterials can lead to cost effective solutions as well. Therefore, it seems there should be a sense of techno-economic optimization in exploiting nanomaterials for solar thermal energy storage applications. The optimization should cover the key parameters, particularly nanoparticle type, size, loading and shape which depends on the sort of application and also dispersion technology.

Application of nanomaterials in solar thermal energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Shamshirgaran, Seyed Reza; Khalaji Assadi, Morteza; Viswanatha Sharma, Korada

2017-12-01

Solar thermal conversion technology harvests the sun's energy, rather than fossil fuels, to generate low-cost, low/zero-emission energy in the form of heating, cooling or electrical form for residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. The advent of nanofluids and nanocomposites or phase change materials, is a new field of study which is adapted to enhance the efficiency of solar collectors. The concepts of thermal energy storage technologies are investigated and the role of nanomaterials in energy conversion is discussed. This review revealed that although the exploitation of nanomaterials will boost the performance of solar collectors almost in all cases, this would be accompanied by certain challenges such as production cost, instability, agglomeration and erosion. Earlier studies have dealt with the enhancement of thermal conductivity and heat capacity; however, less attention has been given to the facing challenges. Moreover, no exact criteria can be found for the selection of appropriate nanomaterials and their properties for a specific application. In most research studies, the nanoparticles' material and properties have not been selected based on estimated values so that all the aspects of desired application could be considered simultaneously. The wide spread use of nanomaterials can lead to cost effective solutions as well. Therefore, it seems there should be a sense of techno-economic optimization in exploiting nanomaterials for solar thermal energy storage applications. The optimization should cover the key parameters, particularly nanoparticle type, size, loading and shape which depends on the sort of application and also dispersion technology.

Micro/nanoencapsulated n-nonadecane with poly(methyl methacrylate) shell for thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarı, Ahmet; Alkan, Cemil; Biçer, Alper; Altuntaş, Ayşe; Bilgin, Cahit

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: This paper was aimed to prepare, characterize and determinate of thermal energy storage properties of PMMA/C19 micro/nanocapsules as a novel encapsulated phase change material (M/N-EPCM). The chemical structure of the prepared M/N-EPCM was verified using FTIR spectroscopy method. The analysis results obtained from POM and SEM indicated that the synthesized capsules had virtually spherical-shape. The PSD analysis indicated that the M/N-EPCM capsules had mean diameter of 8.18 μm and the percentage of the capsules with nanosize was 4.90 (v/v). The DSC results showed that the synthesized M/N-PCM had a melting temperature and total latent heat value as 31.23 °C and 139.20 J/g, respectively. It can be also deduced from all results that the synthesized M/N-EPCM had promising thermal energy storage potential due to its good latent heat thermal energy storage properties, thermal durability, thermal reliability, chemical stability, thermal conductivity and phase change reversibility properties. - Highlights: • The chemical structure of the prepared M/N-EPCM was verified using FTIR spectroscopy method. • POM and SEM results indicated that the M/N-EPCM had virtually spherical shape-appearance. • The M/N-EPCM had mean diameter of 8.18 μm and the percentage of the capsules with nanosize was 4.90 (v/v). • The M/N-PCM had a melting temperature and total latent heat value as 31.23 °C and 139.20 J/g, respectively. • The M/N-EPCM had promising thermal energy storage potential. - Abstract: This paper was aimed to prepare, characterize and determine the thermal energy storage properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/n-nonadecane (C19) capsules as a novel micro/nanoencapsulated phase change material (M/N-EPCM). The M/N-EPCM was fabricated via emulsion polymerization reaction of methylmethacrylate (MMA) monomer occurred around C19 used as core material. The chemical structure of the prepared M/N-EPCM was verified using Fourier transform infrared

Characteristics of phase-change materials containing oxide nano-additives for thermal storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Tun-Ping; Yu, Chao-Chieh

2012-11-06

In this study, the authors report the production of nanocomposite-enhanced phase-change materials (NEPCMs) using the direct-synthesis method by mixing paraffin with alumina (Al2O3), titania (TiO2), silica (SiO2), and zinc oxide (ZnO) as the experimental samples. Al2O3, TiO2, SiO2, and ZnO were dispersed into three concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt.%. Through heat conduction and differential scanning calorimeter experiments to evaluate the effects of varying concentrations of the nano-additives on the heat conduction performance and thermal storage characteristics of NEPCMs, their feasibility for use in thermal storage was determined. The experimental results demonstrate that TiO2 is more effective than the other additives in enhancing both the heat conduction and thermal storage performance of paraffin for most of the experimental parameters. Furthermore, TiO2 reduces the melting onset temperature and increases the solidification onset temperature of paraffin. This allows the phase-change heat to be applicable to a wider temperature range, and the highest decreased ratio of phase-change heat is only 0.46%, compared to that of paraffin. Therefore, this study demonstrates that TiO2, added to paraffin to form NEPCMs, has significant potential for enhancing the thermal storage characteristics of paraffin.

Novel “open-sorption pipe” reactor for solar thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aydin, Devrim; Casey, Sean P.; Chen, Xiangjie; Riffat, Saffa

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A novel ‘open sorption pipe’ heat storage was experimentally investigated. • Effect of absolute moisture levels on heat storage performance was analyzed. • Hygrothermal-cyclic performances of Zeolite 13X and vermiculite–calcium chloride were compared. • Vermiculite–calcium chloride has more durable performance than Zeolite at 80 °C regeneration temperature. • Sorption pipe system using vermiculite–calcium chloride provides energy storage density of 290 kW h/m"3. - Abstract: In the last decade sorption heat storage systems are gaining attention due to their high energy storage density and long term heat storage potential. Sorption reactor development is vital for future progress of these systems however little has done on this topic. In this study, a novel sorption pipe reactor for solar thermal energy storage is developed and experimentally investigated to fulfill this gap. The modular heat storage system consists of sorption pipe units with an internal perforated diffuser pipe network and the sorption material filled in between. Vermiculite–calcium chloride composite material was employed as the sorbent in the reactor and its thermal performance was investigated under different inlet air humidity levels. It was found that, a fourfold increase of absolute humidity difference of air led to approximately 2.3 times boost in average power output from 313 W to 730 W and an 8.8 times boost of average exergy from 4.8 W to 42.3 W. According to the testing results, each of three sorption pipes can provide an average air temperature lift of 24.1 °C over 20 h corresponding to a system total energy storage capacity of 25.5 kW h and energy storage density of 290 kW h/m"3. Within the study, vermiculite–calcium chloride performance was also compared with the widely investigated Zeolite 13X. Vermiculite–calcium chloride showed a good cyclic ability at regeneration temperature of 80 °C with a steadier thermal performance than Zeolite

Economic feasibility of thermal energy storage systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Habeebullah, B.A. [Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

2007-07-01

This paper investigates the economic feasibility of both building an ice thermal storage and structure a time of rate tariff for the unique air conditioning (A/C) plant of the Grand Holy Mosque of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The features of the building are unique where the air-conditioned 39,300 m{sup 2} zone is open to the atmosphere and the worshippers fully occupy the building five times a day, in addition hundreds of thousands of worshippers attend the blessed weekend's prayer at noontime, which escalates the peak electricity load. For economic analysis, the objective function is the daily electricity bill that includes the operation cost and the capital investment of the ice storage system. The operation cost is function of the energy imported for operating the plant in which the tariff structure, number of operating hours and the ambient temperature are parameters. The capital recovery factor is calculated for 10% interest rate and payback period of 10 years. Full and partial load storage scenarios are considered. The results showed that with the current fixed electricity rate (0.07 $/kWh), there is no gain in introducing ice storage systems for both storage schemes. Combining energy storage and an incentive time structured rate showed reasonable daily bill savings. For base tariff of 0.07 $/kWh during daytime operation and 0.016 $/kWh for off-peak period, savings were achieved for full load storage scenario. Different tariff structure is discussed and the break-even nighttime rate was determined (varies between 0.008 and 0.03 $/kWh). Partial load storage scenario showed to be unattractive where the savings for the base structured tariff was insignificant. (author)

Thermodynamic model of a thermal storage air conditioning system with dynamic behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleming, Evan; Wen, Shaoyi; Shi, Li; Silva, Alexandre K. da

2013-01-01

Highlights: • We developed an automotive thermal storage air conditioning system model. • The thermal storage unit utilizes phase change materials. • We use semi-analytic solution to the coupled phase change and forced convection. • We model the airside heat exchange using the NTU method. • The system model can incorporate dynamic inputs, e.g. variable inlet airflow. - Abstract: A thermodynamic model was developed to predict transient behavior of a thermal storage system, using phase change materials (PCMs), for a novel electric vehicle climate conditioning application. The main objectives of the paper are to consider the system’s dynamic behavior, such as a dynamic air flow rate into the vehicle’s cabin, and to characterize the transient heat transfer process between the thermal storage unit and the vehicle’s cabin, while still maintaining accurate solution to the complex phase change heat transfer. The system studied consists of a heat transfer fluid circulating between either of the on-board hot and cold thermal storage units, which we refer to as thermal batteries, and a liquid–air heat exchanger that provides heat exchange with the incoming air to the vehicle cabin. Each thermal battery is a shell-and-tube configuration where a heat transfer fluid flows through parallel tubes, which are surrounded by PCM within a larger shell. The system model incorporates computationally inexpensive semi-analytic solution to the conjugated laminar forced convection and phase change problem within the battery and accounts for airside heat exchange using the Number of Transfer Units (NTUs) method for the liquid–air heat exchanger. Using this approach, we are able to obtain an accurate solution to the complex heat transfer problem within the battery while also incorporating the impact of the airside heat transfer on the overall system performance. The implemented model was benchmarked against a numerical study for a melting process and against full system

Numerical model for the thermal behavior of thermocline storage tanks

Science.gov (United States)

Ehtiwesh, Ismael A. S.; Sousa, Antonio C. M.

2018-03-01

Energy storage is a critical factor in the advancement of solar thermal power systems for the sustained delivery of electricity. In addition, the incorporation of thermal energy storage into the operation of concentrated solar power systems (CSPs) offers the potential of delivering electricity without fossil-fuel backup even during peak demand, independent of weather conditions and daylight. Despite this potential, some areas of the design and performance of thermocline systems still require further attention for future incorporation in commercial CSPs, particularly, their operation and control. Therefore, the present study aims to develop a simple but efficient numerical model to allow the comprehensive analysis of thermocline storage systems aiming better understanding of their dynamic temperature response. The validation results, despite the simplifying assumptions of the numerical model, agree well with the experiments for the time evolution of the thermocline region. Three different cases are considered to test the versatility of the numerical model; for the particular type of a storage tank with top round impingement inlet, a simple analytical model was developed to take into consideration the increased turbulence level in the mixing region. The numerical predictions for the three cases are in general good agreement against the experimental results.

Experimental investigation and exergy analysis on thermal storage integrated micro-cogeneration system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johar, Dheeraj Kishor; Sharma, Dilip; Soni, Shyam Lal; Gupta, Pradeep K.; Goyal, Rahul

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Energy Storage System is integrated with Micro cogeneration system. • Erythritol is used as Phase Change Material. • Maximum energy saved is 15.2%. • Maximum exergy saved is 4.22%. • Combined systems are feasible to increase energy and exergy efficiency. - Abstract: This paper describes the performance of thermal storage integrated micro-cogeneration system based on single cylinder diesel engine. In addition to electricity generated from genset, waste heat from hot exhaust of diesel engine was used to heat water in a double pipe heat exchanger of 67.70 cm length with inside tube diameter of 3.81 cm and outside tube diameter of 5.08 cm. Additionally, a latent heat thermal energy storage system was also integrated with this cogeneration system. A shell and tube type heat exchanger of 346 mm diameter and 420 mm height with 45 tubes of 18 mm diameter each was designed and fabricated, to store thermal energy, in which Erythritol (C_4H_1_0O_4) was used as phase changing material. The test results show that micro capacity (4.4 kW), stationary, single cylinder, diesel engine can be successfully utilized to simultaneously produce power as well as heating, and to also store thermal energy. Slight decrease in engine performance was observed when double pipe heat exchanger and latent heat thermal energy storage system was integrated with engine but the amount of energy which could be recovered was significant. Maximum percentage of energy saved was obtained at a load of 3.6 kW and was 15.2%.

Central unresolved issues in thermal energy storage for building heating and cooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swet, C.J.; Baylin, F.

1980-07-01

This document explores the frontier of the rapidly expanding field of thermal energy storage, investigates unresolved issues, outlines research aimed at finding solutions, and suggests avenues meriting future research. Issues related to applications include value-based ranking of storage concepts, temperature constraints, consistency of assumptions, nomenclature and taxonomy, and screening criteria for materials. Issues related to technologies include assessing seasonal storage concepts, diurnal coolness storage, selection of hot-side storage concepts for cooling-only systems, phase-change storage in building materials, freeze protection for solar water heating systems, and justification of phase-change storage for active solar space heating.

Conceptual assessment and thermal hydraulic analysis of MVDS system for the dry storage of reduced metal fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J. C.; Bang, K. S.; Shin, H. S.; Joo, J. S.; Su, K. S.; Kim, H. D.

2003-01-01

Conceptual assessment and thermal hydraulic analysis of MVDS storage system have been carried out for application of reduced metal fuel. The storage concept was established considering the optimum weight, storage volume and thermal efficiency. The capacity of MVDS system for loading the reduced metal fuel has four times as compared with existing PWR fuel storage system. In the results of thermal analysis, the maximum temperature of metal fuel was estimated to be 110 .deg. C which is lower than the allowable value under normal operation condition. Therefore, it is shown that the MVDS system can feasibly accomodate the reduced metal fuel in aspect of thermal safety

Gas storage cylinder formed from a composition containing thermally exfoliated graphite

Science.gov (United States)

Prud'Homme, Robert K. (Inventor); Aksay, Ilhan A. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A gas storage cylinder or gas storage cylinder liner, formed from a polymer composite, containing at least one polymer and a modified graphite oxide material, which is a thermally exfoliated graphite oxide with a surface area of from about 300 m(exp 2)/g to 2600 m(exp 2)2/g.

Design aspects of integrated compact thermal storage system for solar dryer applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajaraman, R.; Velraj, R.; Renganarayanan, S.

2000-01-01

Solar energy is an excellent source for drying of crops, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural and forest products. Though the availability of solar energy is plenty, it is time dependent in nature. The energy need for some applications is also time dependent, but in a different pattern and phase from the solar energy supply. This implies that the solar dryer should be integrated with an efficient thermal storage system to match the time-dependent supply and end-use requirements. Based on the studies carried out on Latent Heat Thermal Storage (LHTS) Systems, it is observed that when air is used as the heat transfer fluid in LHTS system, nearly uniform surface heat flux can be achieved. Hence the LHTS systems are most suitable for air based solar drying applications. In the present work some major conclusions arrived from the investigations on LHTS systems and the design considerations for the integrated latent heat thermal storage for the solar dryer are reported. (Author)

Investigation of the charge boost technology for the efficiency increase of closed sorption thermal energy storage systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rohringer, C.; Engel, G.; Köll, R.; Wagner, W.; van Helden, W.

2017-10-01

The inclusion of solar thermal energy into energy systems requires storage possibilities to overcome the gap between supply and demand. Storage of thermal energy with closed sorption thermal energy systems has the advantage of low thermal losses and high energy density. However, the efficiency of these systems needs yet to be increased to become competitive on the market. In this paper, the so-called “charge boost technology” is developed and tested via experiments as a new concept for the efficiency increase of compact thermal energy storages. The main benefit of the charge boost technology is that it can reach a defined state of charge for sorption thermal energy storages at lower temperature levels than classic pure desorption processes. Experiments are conducted to provide a proof of principle for this concept. The results show that the charge boost technology does function as predicted and is a viable option for further improvement of sorption thermal energy storages. Subsequently, a new process application is developed by the author with strong focus on the utilization of the advantages of the charge boost technology over conventional desorption processes. After completion of the conceptual design, the theoretical calculations are validated via experiments.

Study on paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change thermal energy storage material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhengguo; Fang Xiaoming

2006-01-01

A paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change thermal energy storage material was prepared by absorbing the paraffin into an expanded graphite that has an excellent absorbability. In such a composite, the paraffin serves as a latent heat storage material and the expanded graphite acts as the supporting material, which prevents leakage of the melted paraffin from its porous structure due to the capillary and surface tension forces. The inherent structure of the expanded graphite did not change in the composite material. The solid-liquid phase change temperature of the composite PCM was the same as that of the paraffin, and the latent heat of the paraffin/expanded graphite composite material was equivalent to the calculated value based on the mass ratio of the paraffin in the composite. The heat transfer rate of the paraffin/expanded graphite composite was obviously higher than that of the paraffin due to the combination with the expanded graphite that had a high thermal conductivity. The prepared paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change material had a large thermal storage capacity and improved thermal conductivity and did not experience liquid leakage during its solid-liquid phase change

Low Molecular Weight Norbornadiene Derivatives for Molecular Solar-Thermal Energy Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Quant, Maria; Lennartson, Anders; Dreos, Ambra; Kuisma, Mikael; Erhart, Paul; Börjesson, Karl; Moth-Poulsen, Kasper

2016-09-05

Molecular solar-thermal energy storage systems are based on molecular switches that reversibly convert solar energy into chemical energy. Herein, we report the synthesis, characterization, and computational evaluation of a series of low molecular weight (193-260 g mol(-1) ) norbornadiene-quadricyclane systems. The molecules feature cyano acceptor and ethynyl-substituted aromatic donor groups, leading to a good match with solar irradiation, quantitative photo-thermal conversion between the norbornadiene and quadricyclane, as well as high energy storage densities (396-629 kJ kg(-1) ). The spectroscopic properties and energy storage capability have been further evaluated through density functional theory calculations, which indicate that the ethynyl moiety plays a critical role in obtaining the high oscillator strengths seen for these molecules. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

A coupled nuclear reactor thermal energy storage system for enhanced load following operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alameri, Saeed A.; King, Jeffrey C.

2013-01-01

Nuclear power plants operate most economically at a constant power level, providing base load electric power. In an energy grid containing a high fraction of renewable power sources, nuclear reactors may be subject to significantly variable power demands. These variable power demands can negatively impact the effective capacity factor of the reactor and result in severe economic penalties. Coupling a nuclear reactor to a large thermal energy storage block will allow the reactor to better respond to variable power demands. In the system described in this paper, a Prismatic core Advanced High Temperature Reactor supplies constant power to a lithium chloride molten salt thermal energy storage block that provides thermal power as needed to a closed Brayton cycle energy conversion system. During normal operation, the thermal energy storage block stores thermal energy during the night for use in the times of peak demand during the day. In this case, the nuclear reactor stays at a constant thermal power level. After a loss of forced circulation, the reactor reaches a shut down state in less than half an hour and the average fuel, graphite and coolant temperatures remain well within the design limits over the duration of the transient, demonstrating the inherent safety of the coupled system. (author)

Thermal enhancement of charge and discharge cycles for adsorbed natural gas storage

KAUST Repository

Rahman, Kazi Afzalur; Loh, Wai Soong; Chakraborty, Anutosh; Saha, Bidyut Baran; Chun, Won Gee; Ng, Kim Choon

2011-01-01

The usage of adsorbed natural gas (ANG) storage is hindered by the thermal management during the adsorption and desorption processes. An effective thermal enhancement is thus essential for the development of the ANG technology and the motivation

Impacts of convection on high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Beyer, Christof; Hintze, Meike; Bauer, Sebastian

2016-04-01

Seasonal subsurface heat storage is increasingly used in order to overcome the temporal disparities between heat production from renewable sources like solar thermal installations or from industrial surplus heat and the heat demand for building climatisation or hot water supply. In this context, high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) is a technology to efficiently store and retrieve large amounts of heat using groundwater wells in an aquifer to inject or withdraw hot or cold water. Depending on the local hydrogeology and temperature amplitudes during high-temperature ATES, density differences between the injected hot water and the ambient groundwater may induce significant convective flow components in the groundwater flow field. As a consequence, stored heat may accumulate at the top of the storage aquifer which reduces the heat recovery efficiency of the ATES system. Also, an accumulation of heat at the aquifer top will induce increased emissions of heat to overlying formations with potential impacts on groundwater quality outside of the storage. This work investigates the impacts of convective heat transport on the storage efficiency of a hypothetical high-temperature ATES system for seasonal heat storage as well as heat emissions to neighboring formations by numerical scenario simulations. The coupled groundwater flow and heat transport code OpenGeoSys is used to simulate a medium scale ATES system operating in a sandy aquifer of 20 m thickness with an average groundwater temperature of 10°C and confining aquicludes at top and bottom. Seasonal heat storage by a well doublet (i.e. one fully screened "hot" and "cold" well, respectively) is simulated over a period of 10 years with biannual injection / withdrawal cycles at pumping rates of 15 m³/h and for different scenarios of the temperature of the injected water (20, 35, 60 and 90 °C). Simulation results show, that for the simulated system significant convective heat transport sets in when

Fabrication and analysis of small-scale thermal energy storage with conductivity enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thapa, Suvhashis; Chukwu, Sam; Khaliq, Abdul; Weiss, Leland

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Useful thermal conductivity envelope established for small scale TES. • Paraffin conductivity enhanced from .5 to 3.8 W/m K via low-cost copper insert. • Conductivity increase beyond 5 W/m K shows diminished returns. • Storage with increased conductivity lengthened thermoelectric output up to 247 s. - Abstract: The operation and useful operating parameters of a small-scale Thermal Energy Storage (TES) device that collects and stores heat in a Phase Change Material (PCM) is explored. The PCM utilized is an icosane wax. A physical device is constructed on the millimeter scale to examine specific effects of low-cost thermal conductivity enhancements that include copper foams and other metallic inserts. Numerical methods are utilized to establish useful operating range of small-scale TES devices in general, and the limits of thermal conductivity enhancement on thermoelectric operation specifically. Specific attention is paid to the manufacturability of the various constructs as well as the resulting thermal conductivity enhancement. A maximum thermal conductivity of 3.8 W/m K is achieved in experimental testing via copper foam enhancement. A simplified copper matrix achieves conductivity of 3.7 W/m K and allows significantly reduced fabrication effort. These results compare favorably to baseline wax conductivity of .5 W/m K. Power absorption is recorded of about 900 W/m 2 . Modeling reveals diminishing returns beyond 4–6 W/m K for devices on this scale. Results show the system capable of extending thermoelectric operation several minutes through the use of thermal energy storage techniques within the effective conductivity ranges

Energy and exergy analyses of an ice-on-coil thermal energy storage system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ezan, Mehmet Akif; Erek, Aytunç; Dincer, Ibrahim

2011-01-01

In this study, energy and exergy analyses are carried out for the charging period of an ice-on-coil thermal energy storage system. The present model is developed using a thermal resistance network technique. First, the time-dependent variations of the predicted total stored energy, mass of ice, and outlet temperature of the heat transfer fluid from a storage tank are compared with the experimental data. Afterward, performance of an ice-on-coil type latent heat thermal energy storage system is investigated for several working and design parameters. The results of a comparative study are presented in terms of the variations of the heat transfer rate, total stored energy, dimensionless energetic/exergetic effectiveness and energy/exergy efficiency. The results indicate that working and design parameters of the ice-on-coil thermal storage tank should be determined by considering both energetic and exergetic behavior of the system. For the current parameters, storage capacity and energy efficiency of the system increases with decreasing the inlet temperature of the heat transfer fluid and increasing the length of the tube. Besides, the exergy efficiency increases with increasing the inlet temperature of the heat transfer fluid and increasing the length of the tube. -- Highlights: ► A comprehensive study on energy and exergy analyses of an ice-on-coil TES system. ► Determination of irreversibilities and their potential sources. ► Evaluation of both energy and exergy efficiencies and their comparisons.

Design and installation manual for thermal energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cole, R L; Nield, K J; Rohde, R R; Wolosewicz, R M

1980-01-01

The purpose of this manual is to provide information on the design and installation of thermal energy storage in active solar systems. It is intended for contractors, installers, solar system designers, engineers, architects, and manufacturers who intend to enter the solar energy business. The reader should have general knowledge of how solar heating and cooling systems operate and knowledge of construction methods and building codes. Knowledge of solar analysis methods such as f-Chart, SOLCOST, DOE-1, or TRNSYS would be helpful. The information contained in the manual includes sizing storage, choosing a location for the storage device, and insulation requirements. Both air-based and liquid-based systems are covered with topics on designing rock beds, tank types, pump and fan selection, installation, costs, and operation and maintenance. Topics relevant to latent heat storage include properties of phase-change materials, sizing the storage unit, insulating the storage unit, available systems, and cost. Topics relevant to heating domestic water include safety, single- and dual-tank systems, domestic water heating with air- and liquid-based space heating systems, and stand alone domestics hot water systems. Several appendices present common problems with storage systems and their solutions, heat transfer fluid properties, economic insulation thickness, heat exchanger sizing, and sample specifications for heat exchangers, wooden rock bins, steel tanks, concrete tanks, and fiberglass-reinforced plastic tanks.

Peak load shifting control using different cold thermal energy storage facilities in commercial buildings: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Yongjun; Wang, Shengwei; Xiao, Fu; Gao, Diance

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Little study reviews the load shifting control using different facilities. • This study reviews load shifting control using building thermal mass. • This study reviews load shifting control using thermal energy storage systems. • This study reviews load shifting control using phase change material. • Efforts for developing more applicable load shifting control are addressed. - Abstract: For decades, load shifting control, one of most effective peak demand management methods, has attracted increasing attentions from both researchers and engineers. Different load shifting control strategies have been developed when diverse cold thermal energy storage facilities are used in commercial buildings. The facilities include building thermal mass (BTM), thermal energy storage system (TES) and phase change material (PCM). Little study has systematically reviewed these load shifting control strategies and therefore this study presents a comprehensive review of peak load shifting control strategies using these thermal energy storage facilities in commercial buildings. The research and applications of the load shifting control strategies are presented and discussed. The further efforts needed for developing more applicable load shifting control strategies using the facilities are also addressed

Development and prototype testing of MgCl 2 /graphite foam latent heat thermal energy storage system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Dileep; Yu, Wenhua; Zhao, Weihuan; Kim, Taeil; France, David M.; Smith, Roger K.

2018-01-01

Composites of graphite foam infiltrated with a magnesium chloride phase-change material have been developed as high-temperature thermal energy storage media for concentrated solar power applications. This storage medium provides a high thermal energy storage density, a narrow operating temperature range, and excellent heat transfer characteristics. In this study, experimental investigations were conducted on laboratory-scale prototypes with magnesium chloride/graphite foam composite as the latent heat thermal energy storage system. Prototypes were designed and built to monitor the melt front movement during the charging/discharging tests. A test loop was built to ensure the charging/discharging of the prototypes at temperatures > 700 degrees C. Repeated thermal cycling experiments were carried out on the fabricated prototypes, and the experimental temperature profiles were compared to the predicted results from numerical simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics software. Experimental results were found to be in good agreement with the simulations to validate the thermal models.

Thermal enhancement of charge and discharge cycles for adsorbed natural gas storage

KAUST Repository

Rahman, Kazi Afzalur

2011-07-01

The usage of adsorbed natural gas (ANG) storage is hindered by the thermal management during the adsorption and desorption processes. An effective thermal enhancement is thus essential for the development of the ANG technology and the motivation for this study is the investigation of a gas storage system with internal thermal control. We employed a fin-tube type heat exchanger that is placed in a pressurized cylinder. A distributed-parameter model is used for the theoretical modeling and simulations are conducted at assorted charging and discharging conditions. These studies included the transient thermal behaviours of the elements within the ANG-charged cylinder and parameters such as pressure and temperature profiles of adsorbent have been obtained during charge and discharge cycles, and results are compared with a conventional compressed methane vessel. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular solar thermal energy storage in photoswitch oligomers increases energy densities and storage times.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansø, Mads; Petersen, Anne Ugleholdt; Wang, Zhihang; Erhart, Paul; Nielsen, Mogens Brøndsted; Moth-Poulsen, Kasper

2018-05-16

Molecular photoswitches can be used for solar thermal energy storage by photoisomerization into high-energy, meta-stable isomers; we present a molecular design strategy leading to photoswitches with high energy densities and long storage times. High measured energy densities of up to 559 kJ kg -1 (155 Wh kg -1 ), long storage lifetimes up to 48.5 days, and high quantum yields of conversion of up to 94% per subunit are demonstrated in norbornadiene/quadricyclane (NBD/QC) photo-/thermoswitch couples incorporated into dimeric and trimeric structures. By changing the linker unit between the NBD units, we can at the same time fine-tune light-harvesting and energy densities of the dimers and trimers so that they exceed those of their monomeric analogs. These new oligomers thereby meet several of the criteria to be met for an optimum molecule to ultimately enter actual devices being able to undergo closed cycles of solar light-harvesting, energy storage, and heat release.

Aromatic Polyimide and Crosslinked Thermally Rearranged Poly(benzoxazole-co-imide) Membranes for Isopropanol Dehydration via Pervaporation

KAUST Repository

Ming Xu, Yi

2015-10-31

Novel crosslinked thermally rearranged polybenzoxazole (C-TR-PBO) membranes, which show impressive results for isopropanol dehydration, have been obtained via in-situ thermal conversion of hydroxyl-containing polyimide precursors. The polyimide precursors are synthesized by the polycondensation of three monomers; namely, 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride (6FDA), 3,3′-dihydroxybenzidine diamine (HAB) and 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid (DABA). Due to the incorporation of the carboxylic-group containing diamine DABA into an ortho-hydroxypolyimide precursor, the thermal induced crosslinking reaction can be achieved together with the thermal rearrangement process. Consequently, a synergistic effect of high permeability and high selectivity can be realized in one step. The resultant C-TR-PBO membrane exhibits an unambiguous enhancement in permeation flux compared to their polyimide precursors. Moreover, the newly developed C-TR-PBO membrane displays stable isopropanol dehydration performance at 60 °C throughout the continuous 200 hours. The promising preliminary results achieved in this study may offer useful insights for the selection of membrane materials for pervaporation and new methods to molecularly design next-generation pervaporation membranes.

Aromatic Polyimide and Crosslinked Thermally Rearranged Poly(benzoxazole-co-imide) Membranes for Isopropanol Dehydration via Pervaporation

KAUST Repository

Ming Xu, Yi; Le, Ngoc Lieu; Zuo, Jian; Chung, Neal Tai-Shung

2015-01-01

Novel crosslinked thermally rearranged polybenzoxazole (C-TR-PBO) membranes, which show impressive results for isopropanol dehydration, have been obtained via in-situ thermal conversion of hydroxyl-containing polyimide precursors. The polyimide precursors are synthesized by the polycondensation of three monomers; namely, 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride (6FDA), 3,3′-dihydroxybenzidine diamine (HAB) and 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid (DABA). Due to the incorporation of the carboxylic-group containing diamine DABA into an ortho-hydroxypolyimide precursor, the thermal induced crosslinking reaction can be achieved together with the thermal rearrangement process. Consequently, a synergistic effect of high permeability and high selectivity can be realized in one step. The resultant C-TR-PBO membrane exhibits an unambiguous enhancement in permeation flux compared to their polyimide precursors. Moreover, the newly developed C-TR-PBO membrane displays stable isopropanol dehydration performance at 60 °C throughout the continuous 200 hours. The promising preliminary results achieved in this study may offer useful insights for the selection of membrane materials for pervaporation and new methods to molecularly design next-generation pervaporation membranes.

Combination of aquifer thermal energy storage and enhanced bioremediation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ni, Zhuobiao; Gaans, van Pauline; Smit, Martijn; Rijnaarts, Huub; Grotenhuis, Tim

2016-01-01

To meet the demand for sustainable energy, aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) is widely used in the subsurface in urban areas. However, contamination of groundwater, especially with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs), is often being encountered. This is commonly seen as an

Thermally rearranged (TR) bismaleimide-based network polymers for gas separation membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Do, Yu Seong; Lee, Won Hee; Seong, Jong Geun; Kim, Ju Sung; Wang, Ho Hyun; Doherty, Cara M; Hill, Anita J; Lee, Young Moo

2016-11-15

Highly permeable, thermally rearranged polymer membranes based on bismaleimide derivatives that exhibit excellent CO 2 permeability up to 5440 Barrer with a high BET surface area (1130 m 2 g -1 ) are reported for the first time. In addition, the membranes can be easily used to form semi-interpenetrating networks with other polymers endowing them with superior gas transport properties.

Transport Properties, Mechanical Behavior, Thermal and Chemical Resistance of Asymmetric Flat Sheet Membrane Prepared from PSf/PVDF Blended Membrane on Gauze Supporting Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nita Kusumawati

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Asymmetric polysulfone (PSf membrane is prepared using phase inversion method and blending with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF on the gauze solid support. Casting solution composition optimization has been done to get PSf/PVDF membrane with best characteristics and permeability. The result shows that blending on PSf with PVDF polymer using phase inversion method has been very helpful in creating an asymmetric porous membrane. Increased level of PVDF in casting solution has increased the formation of asymmetry structure and corresponding flux membrane. The result from thermal test using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC-Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA shows the resistance of the membrane to temperature 460 °C. Membrane resistance against acid looks from undetectable changes on infrared spectra after immersion process in H2SO4 6–98 v/v%. While membrane color changes from white to brownish and black is detected after the immersion process in sodium hydroxide (NaOH 0.15–80 w/v%.

Phase change material thermal storage for biofuel preheating in micro trigeneration application: A numerical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Dawei; Chen, Junlong; Roskilly, Anthony P.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Engine exhaust heat driven phase change material thermal storage. • Fuel preheating for direct use of straight plant oil on diesel engine. • CFD aided design of the phase change material thermal storage. • Melting and solidification model considering natural convection. - Abstract: A biofuel micro trigeneration prototype has been developed to utilise local energy crop oils as fuel in rural areas and developing countries. Straight plant oils (SPOs) only leave behind very little carbon footprint during its simply production process compared to commercial biodiesels in refineries, but the high viscosity of SPOs causes difficulties at engine cold starts, which further results in poor fuel atomisation, compromised engine performance and fast engine deterioration. In this study, a phase change material (PCM) thermal storage is designed to recover and store engine exhaust heat to preheat SPOs at cold starts. High temperature commercial paraffin is selected as the PCM to meet the optimal preheating temperature range of 70–90 °C, in terms of the SPO property study. A numerical model of the PCM thermal storage is developed and validated by references. The PCM melting and solidification processes with the consideration of natural convection in liquid zone are simulated in ANSYS-FLUENT to verify the feasibility of the PCM thermal storage as a part of the self-contained biofuel micro trigeneration prototype

Combination of aquifer thermal energy storage and enhanced bioremediation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ni, Zhuobiao; Gaans, van Pauline; Rijnaarts, Huub; Grotenhuis, Tim

2018-01-01

Interest in the combination concept of aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) and enhanced bioremediation has recently risen due to the demand for both renewable energy technology and sustainable groundwater management in urban areas. However, the impact of enhanced bioremediation on ATES is not

Method of making improved gas storage carbon with enhanced thermal conductivity

Science.gov (United States)

Burchell, Timothy D [Oak Ridge, TN; Rogers, Michael R [Knoxville, TN

2002-11-05

A method of making an adsorbent carbon fiber based monolith having improved methane gas storage capabilities is disclosed. Additionally, the monolithic nature of the storage carbon allows it to exhibit greater thermal conductivity than conventional granular activated carbon or powdered activated carbon storage beds. The storage of methane gas is achieved through the process of physical adsorption in the micropores that are developed in the structure of the adsorbent monolith. The disclosed monolith is capable of storing greater than 150 V/V of methane [i.e., >150 STP (101.325 KPa, 298K) volumes of methane per unit volume of storage vessel internal volume] at a pressure of 3.5 MPa (500 psi).

Optimal Sizing of Energy Storage for Community Microgrids Considering Building Thermal Dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Guodong [ORNL; Li, Zhi [ORNL; Starke, Michael R. [ORNL; Ollis, Ben [ORNL; Tomsovic, Kevin [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK)

2017-07-01

This paper proposes an optimization model for the optimal sizing of energy storage in community microgrids considering the building thermal dynamics and customer comfort preference. The proposed model minimizes the annualized cost of the community microgrid, including energy storage investment, purchased energy cost, demand charge, energy storage degradation cost, voluntary load shedding cost and the cost associated with customer discomfort due to room temperature deviation. The decision variables are the power and energy capacity of invested energy storage. In particular, we assume the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems can be scheduled intelligently by the microgrid central controller while maintaining the indoor temperature in the comfort range set by customers. For this purpose, the detailed thermal dynamic characteristics of buildings have been integrated into the optimization model. Numerical simulation shows significant cost reduction by the proposed model. The impacts of various costs on the optimal solution are investigated by sensitivity analysis.

Commercialization of aquifer thermal energy storage technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hattrup, M.P.; Weijo, R.O.

1989-09-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) conducted this study for the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Storage and Distribution. The purpose of the study was to develop and screen a list of potential entry market applications for aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES). Several initial screening criteria were used to identify promising ATES applications. These include the existence of an energy availability/usage mismatch, the existence of many similar applications or commercial sites, the ability to utilize proven technology, the type of location, market characteristics, the size of and access to capital investment, and the number of decision makers involved. The in-depth analysis identified several additional screening criteria to consider in the selection of an entry market application. This analysis revealed that the best initial applications for ATES are those where reliability is acceptable, and relatively high temperatures are allowable. Although chill storage was the primary focus of this study, applications that are good candidates for heat ATES were also of special interest. 11 refs., 3 tabs.

Low-Temperature Thermal Energy Storage Program. Annual progress report, October 1977--September 1978

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunton, G.D.; Eissenberg, D.M.; Kedl, R.J.

1979-05-01

The Low-Temperature Thermal Energy Storage (LTTES) Program is part of a national effort to develop means for reducing United States dependence on oil and natural gas as primary energy sources. To this end, LTTES addresses the development of advanced sensible and latent heat storage technologies that permit substitution by solar or off-peak electrical energies or permit conservation by recovery and reuse of waste heat. Emphasis is on applying these technologies to heating and cooling of buildings. As the LTTES program continued to mature, a number of technologies were identified for development emphasis, including (1) seasonal storage of hot and cold water from waste or natural sources in aquifers, (2) short-term or daily storage of heat or coolness from solar or off-peak electrical sources in phase-change materials, and (3) recovery and reuse of rejected industrial heat through thermal storage. These areas have been further divided into three major and four minor activities; significant accomplishments are reported for each.

Templated assembly of photoswitches significantly increases the energy-storage capacity of solar thermal fuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Kucharski, Timothy J; Ferralis, Nicola; Kolpak, Alexie M; Zheng, Jennie O; Nocera, Daniel G; Grossman, Jeffrey C

2014-05-01

Large-scale utilization of solar-energy resources will require considerable advances in energy-storage technologies to meet ever-increasing global energy demands. Other than liquid fuels, existing energy-storage materials do not provide the requisite combination of high energy density, high stability, easy handling, transportability and low cost. New hybrid solar thermal fuels, composed of photoswitchable molecules on rigid, low-mass nanostructures, transcend the physical limitations of molecular solar thermal fuels by introducing local sterically constrained environments in which interactions between chromophores can be tuned. We demonstrate this principle of a hybrid solar thermal fuel using azobenzene-functionalized carbon nanotubes. We show that, on composite bundling, the amount of energy stored per azobenzene more than doubles from 58 to 120 kJ mol(-1), and the material also maintains robust cyclability and stability. Our results demonstrate that solar thermal fuels composed of molecule-nanostructure hybrids can exhibit significantly enhanced energy-storage capabilities through the generation of template-enforced steric strain.

Effect of carbon nanospheres on shape stabilization and thermal behavior of phase change materials for thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehrali, Mohammad; Tahan Latibari, Sara; Mehrali, Mehdi; Mahlia, Teuku Meurah Indra; Cornelis Metselaar, Hendrik Simon

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Introducing novel form-stable PCM of stearic acid (SA)/carbon nanospheres (CNSs). • The highest stabilized SA content is 83 wt% in the SA/CNS composites. • Increasing thermal conductivity of composite phase change material with high amount of latent heat. - Abstract: Stearic acid (SA) is one of the main phase change materials (PCMs) for medium temperature thermal energy storage systems. In order to stabilize the shape and enhance the thermal conductivity of SA, the effects of adding carbon nanospheres (CNSs) as a carbon nanofiller were examined experimentally. The maximum mass fraction of SA retained in CNSs was found as 80 wt% without the leakage of SA in a melted state, even when it was heated over the melting point of SA. The dropping point test shows that there was clearly no liquid leakage through the phase change process at the operating temperature range of the composite PCMs. The thermal stability and thermal properties of composite PCMs were investigated with a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), respectively. The thermal conductivity of the SA/CNS composite was determined by the laser flash method. The thermal conductivity at 35 °C increased about 105% for the highest loading of CNS (50 wt%). The thermal cycling test proved that form-stable composite PCMs had good thermal reliability and chemical durability after 1000 cycles of melting and freezing, which is advantageous for latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES)

Thermal test and analysis of a spent fuel storage cask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakawa, H.; Gomi, Y.; Ozaki, S.; Kosaki, A.

1993-01-01

A thermal test simulated with full-scale cask model for the normal storage was performed to verify the storage skill of the spent fuels of the cask. The maximum temperature at each point in the test was lower than the allowable temperature. The integrity of the cask was maintained. It was observed that the safety of containment system was also kept according to the check of the seal before and after the thermal test. Therefore it was shown that using the present skill, it is possible to store spent fuels in the dry-type cask safely. Moreover, because of the good agreement between analysis and experimental results, it was shown that the analysis model was successfully established to estimate the temperature distribution of the fuel cladding and the seal portion. (J.P.N.)

Two orders of magnitude reduction in silicon membrane thermal conductivity by resonance hybridizations

Science.gov (United States)

Honarvar, Hossein; Hussein, Mahmoud I.

2018-05-01

The thermal conductivity of a freestanding single-crystal silicon membrane may be reduced significantly by attaching nanoscale pillars on one or both surfaces. Atomic resonances of the nanopillars form vibrons that intrinsically couple with the base membrane phonons causing mode hybridization and flattening at each coupling location in the phonon band structure. This in turn causes group velocity reductions of existing phonons, in addition to introducing new modes that get excited but are localized and do not transport energy. The nanopillars also reduce the phonon lifetimes at and around the hybridization zones. These three effects, which in principle may be tuned to take place across silicon's full spectrum, lead to a lowering of the in-plane thermal conductivity in the base membrane. Using equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, and utilizing the concept of vibrons compensation, we report a staggering two orders of magnitude reduction in the thermal conductivity at room temperature by this mechanism. Specifically, a reduction of a factor of 130 is demonstrated for a roughly 10-nm-thick pillared membrane compared to a corresponding unpillared membrane. This amounts to a record reduction of a factor of 481 compared to bulk crystalline silicon and nearly a factor of 2 compared to bulk amorphous silicon. These results are obtained while providing a path for preserving performance with upscaling.

Development of space heating and domestic hot water systems with compact thermal energy storage. Compact thermal energy storage: Material development for System Integration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Davidson, J.H.; Quinnell, J.; Burch, J.; Zondag, H.A.; Boer, R. de; Finck, C.J.; Cuypers, R.; Cabeza, L.F.; Heinz, A.; Jahnig, D.; Furbo, S.; Bertsch, F.

2013-01-01

Long-term, compact thermal energy storage (TES) is essential to the development of cost-effective solar and passive building-integrated space heating systems and may enhance the annual technical and economic performance of solar domestic hot water (DHW) systems. Systems should provide high energy

Thermal-hydraulic assessment of concrete storage cubicle with horizontal 3013 canisters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

HEARD, F.J.

1999-04-08

The FIDAP computer code was used to perform a series of analyses to assess the thermal-hydraulic performance characteristics of the concrete plutonium storage cubicles, as modified for the horizontal placement of 3013 canisters. Four separate models were developed ranging from a full height model of the storage cubicle to a very detailed standalone model of a horizontal 3013 canister.

Thermal-hydraulic assessment of concrete storage cubicle with horizontal 3013 canisters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heard, F.J.

1999-01-01

The FIDAP computer code was used to perform a series of analyses to assess the thermal-hydraulic performance characteristics of the concrete plutonium storage cubicles, as modified for the horizontal placement of 3013 canisters. Four separate models were developed ranging from a full height model of the storage cubicle to a very detailed standalone model of a horizontal 3013 canister

Selection of high temperature thermal energy storage materials for advanced solar dynamic space power systems

Science.gov (United States)

Lacy, Dovie E.; Coles-Hamilton, Carolyn; Juhasz, Albert

1987-01-01

Under the direction of NASA's Office of Aeronautics and Technology (OAST), the NASA Lewis Research Center has initiated an in-house thermal energy storage program to identify combinations of phase change thermal energy storage media for use with a Brayton and Stirling Advanced Solar Dynamic (ASD) space power system operating between 1070 and 1400 K. A study has been initiated to determine suitable combinations of thermal energy storage (TES) phase change materials (PCM) that result in the smallest and lightest weight ASD power system possible. To date the heats of fusion of several fluoride salt mixtures with melting points greater than 1025 K have been verified experimentally. The study has indicated that these salt systems produce large ASD systems because of their inherent low thermal conductivity and low density. It is desirable to have PCMs with high densities and high thermal conductivities. Therefore, alternate phase change materials based on metallic alloy systems are also being considered as possible TES candidates for future ASD space power systems.

Modeling of District Heating Networks for the Purpose of Operational Optimization with Thermal Energy Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Leśko, Michał; Bujalski, Wojciech

2017-12-01

The aim of this document is to present the topic of modeling district heating systems in order to enable optimization of their operation, with special focus on thermal energy storage in the pipelines. Two mathematical models for simulation of transient behavior of district heating networks have been described, and their results have been compared in a case study. The operational optimization in a DH system, especially if this system is supplied from a combined heat and power plant, is a difficult and complicated task. Finding a global financial optimum requires considering long periods of time and including thermal energy storage possibilities into consideration. One of the most interesting options for thermal energy storage is utilization of thermal inertia of the network itself. This approach requires no additional investment, while providing significant possibilities for heat load shifting. It is not feasible to use full topological models of the networks, comprising thousands of substations and network sections, for the purpose of operational optimization with thermal energy storage, because such models require long calculation times. In order to optimize planned thermal energy storage actions, it is necessary to model the transient behavior of the network in a very simple way - allowing for fast and reliable calculations. Two approaches to building such models have been presented. Both have been tested by comparing the results of simulation of the behavior of the same network. The characteristic features, advantages and disadvantages of both kinds of models have been identified. The results can prove useful for district heating system operators in the near future.

Current status of ground source heat pumps and underground thermal energy storage in Europe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanner, B. [Justus Liebig University, Giessen (Germany). Institute of Applied Geosciences; Karytsas, C.; Mendrinos, D. [Center for Renewable Energy Sources, Pikermi (Greece); Rybach, L. [Geowatt AG, Zurich (Switzerland)

2003-12-01

Geothermal Heat Pumps, or Ground Coupled Heat Pumps (GCHP), are systems combining a heat pump with a ground heat exchanger (closed loop systems), or fed by ground water from a well (open loop systems). They use the earth as a heat source when operating in heating mode, with a fluid (usually water or a water-antifreeze mixture) as the medium that transfers the heat from the earth to the evaporator of the heat pump, thus utilising geothermal energy. In cooling mode, they use the earth as a heat sink. With Borehole Heat Exchangers (BHE), geothermal heat pumps can offer both heating and cooling at virtually any location, with great flexibility to meet any demands. More than 20 years of R and D focusing on BUE in Europe has resulted in a well-established concept of sustainability for this technology, as well as sound design and installation criteria. Recent developments are the Thermal Response Test, which allows in-situ-determination of ground thermal properties for design purposes, and thermally enhanced grouting materials to reduce borehole thermal resistance. For cooling purposes, but also for the storage of solar or waste heat, the concept of underground thermal energy storage (UTES) could prove successful. Systems can be either open (aquifer storage) or can use BHE (borehole storage). Whereas cold storage is already established on the market, heat storage, and, in particular, high temperature heat storage (> 50{sup o}C) is still in the demonstration phase. Despite the fact that geothermal heat pumps have been in use for over 50 years now (the first were in the USA), market penetration of this technology is still in its infancy, with fossil fuels dominating the space heating market and air-to-air heat pumps that of space cooling. In Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, France and the USA, large numbers of geothermal heat pumps are already operational, and installation guidelines, quality control and contractor certification are now major issues

Assessing the sustainable application of Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jaxa-Rozen, M.; Bloemendal, J.M.; Rostampour Samarin, Vahab; Kwakkel, J.H.

2016-01-01

Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) can yield significant reductions in the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of larger buildings, and the use of these systems has been rapidly growing in Europe – especially in the Netherlands, where over 3000 systems are currently active in urban

From Molecular Electronics to Solar Thermal Energy Storage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Stine Tetzschner

The Sun's signicant resource potential provides a solution for the world's increasing energy demand in a sustainable and responsible manner. However, the intrinsic property of the on-o cycles of the solar irradiation, i.e. daynight, sunny-cloudy, and summer-winter, constitutes a signicant challenge...... for the utilization of solar energy. An eective technology for storing the solar energy is required. This thesis focuses on solar thermal energy storage in molecules, since it oers a very compact and eective storage method. The rst chapter after the introduction of the thesis, chapter two, introduces the fundamental...... properties of the molecule, i.e. the electronic behaviour of the molecule in dierent environments, which is a key property for investigations of solar energy storage. The main focus of the research is on the electron transport in the Coulomb blockade regime. The third chapter goes into the challenge...

Dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) as a candidate phase change material for high temperature thermal energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuecuekaltun, Engin [Advansa Sasa Polyester San, A.S., Adana (Turkey); Paksoy, Halime; Bilgin, Ramazan; Yuecebilgic, Guezide [Cukurova Univ., Adana (Turkey). Chemistry Dept.; Evliya, Hunay [Cukurova Univ., Adana (Turkey). Center for Environmental Research

2010-07-01

Thermal energy storage at elevated temperatures, particularly in the range of 120-250 C is of interest with a significant potential for industrial applications that use process steam at low or intermediate pressures. At given temperature range there are few studies on thermal energy storage materials and most of them are dedicated to sensible heat. In this study, Dimethyl Terephthalate - DMT (CAS No: 120-61-6) is investigated as a candidate phase change material (PCM) for high temperature thermal energy storage. DMT is a monomer commonly used in Polyethylene terephtalate industry and has reasonable cost and availability. The Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis and heating cooling curves show that DMT melts at 140-146 C within a narrow window. Supercooling that was detected in DSC results was not observed in the cooling curve measurements made with a larger sample. With a latent heat of 193 J/g, DMT is a candidate PCM for high temperature storage. Potential limitations such as, low thermal conductivity and sublimation needs further investigation. (orig.)

Thermal characterization of nitrates and nitrates/expanded graphite mixture phase change materials for solar energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, X.; Zhang, P.; Li, M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The addition of expanded graphite improved apparent thermal conductivity significantly. • The quadratic parallel model was used to predict the effective thermal conductivity. • The melting/freezing temperatures of mixture PCMs shifted slightly with adding of EG. - Abstract: Solar energy storage has become more attractive in recent years. In particular, latent thermal energy storage (LTES) with large energy storage density and isothermal heat storage/retrieval characteristics is a hot research topic. In the present study, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate and their mixture were used as the base materials, and expanded graphite (EG) with high thermal conductivity and thermo-chemical stability was used as an additive to enhance the thermal conductivity. EG with various mass fractions was added to the base materials to form mixture phase change materials (PCMs), and the thermal characteristics of the mixtures were studied extensively. The transient hot-wire tests showed that the addition of EG enhanced the apparent thermal conductivity significantly, e.g. the apparent thermal conductivity of the nitrates/10 wt.% EG mixture PCM was increased by about 30–40%. The test results showed good agreement with theoretical calculations of the quadratic parallel model. Tests with differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) revealed that the melting/freezing temperatures of the mixture PCMs shifted slightly, compared with those of pure nitrates

Preparation, characterization and thermal properties of PMMA/n-heptadecane microcapsules as novel solid-liquid microPCM for thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sari, Ahmet; Alkan, Cemil; Karaipekli, Ali

2010-01-01

This study is focused on the preparation, characterization and thermal properties of microencapsulated n-heptadecane with polymethylmethacrylate shell. The PMMA/heptadecane microcapsules were synthesized as novel solid-liquid microencapsulated phase change material (microPCMs) by emulsion polymerization method. The chemical and thermal characterization of the microPCMs were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). The diameters of microPCMs were found in the narrow range (0.14-0.40 μm) under the stirring speed of 2000 rpm. The spherical surfaces of microPCMs were smooth and compact. The DSC results show that microPCMs have good energy storage capacity. Thermal cycling test showed that the microPCMs have good thermal reliability with respect to the changes in their thermal properties after repeated 5000 thermal cycling. TGA analyses also indicated that the microPCMs degraded in three steps and have good thermal stability. Based on all results, it can be considered that the PMMA/heptadecane microcapsules as novel solid-liquid microPCMs have good energy storage potential.

Thermal analysis and its application in evaluation of fluorinated polyimide membranes for gas separation

KAUST Repository

Qiu, Wulin

2011-08-01

Seven polyimides based on (4,4′-hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride, 6FDA, with different chemical structures were synthesized in a single pot two-step procedure by first producing a high molecular weight polyamic acid (PAA), followed by reaction with acetic anhydride to produce polyimide (PI). The resulting polymers were characterized using thermal analysis techniques including TGA, derivative weight analysis, TGA-MS, and DSC. The decarboxylation-induced thermal cross-linking, ester cross-linking through a diol, and ion-exchange reactions of selected polyimide membranes were investigated. Cross-linking of polymer membranes was confirmed by solubility tests and CO 2 permeability measurements. The thermal analysis provides simple and timesaving opportunities to characterize the polymer properties, the ability to optimize polymer cross-linking conditions, and to monitor polymer functionalization to develop high performance polymeric membranes for gas separations. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of in-situ thermal energy storage for lunar based solar dynamic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Crane, Roger A.

1991-01-01

A practical lunar based thermal energy storage system, based on locally available materials, could significantly reduce transportation requirements and associated costs of a continuous, solar derived power system. The concept reported here is based on a unique, in-situ approach to thermal energy storage. The proposed design is examined to assess the problems of start-up and the requirements for attainment of stable operation. The design remains, at this stage, partially conceptional in nature, but certain aspects of the design, bearing directly on feasibility, are examined in some detail. Specifically included is an engineering evaluation of the projected thermal performance of this system. Both steady state and start-up power requirements are evaluated and the associated thermal losses are evaluated as a basis for establishing potential system performance.

Aquifer thermal-energy-storage modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Schaetzle, W. J.; Lecroy, J. E.

1982-09-01

A model aquifer was constructed to simulate the operation of a full size aquifer. Instrumentation to evaluate the water flow and thermal energy storage was installed in the system. Numerous runs injecting warm water into a preconditioned uniform aquifer were made. Energy recoveries were evaluated and agree with comparisons of other limited available data. The model aquifer is simulated in a swimming pool, 18 ft by 4 ft, which was filled with sand. Temperature probes were installed in the system. A 2 ft thick aquifer is confined by two layers of polyethylene. Both the aquifer and overburden are sand. Four well configurations are available. The system description and original tests, including energy recovery, are described.

Thermal Feature of a Modified Solar Phase Change Material Storage Wall System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chenglong Luo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This work is to study a novel solar PCM storage wall technology, that is, a dual-channel and thermal-insulation-in-the-middle type solar PCM storage wall (MSPCMW system. The system has the following four independent functions, passive solar heating, heat preservation, heat insulation, and passive cooling, and it can agilely cope with the requirements of climatization of buildings in different seasons throughout the year and is exactly suitable for building in regions characterized by hot summer and cold winter. The present work experimentally analyzes thermal feature of the system working in summer and winter modes, respectively.

Thermal Storage Systems Assessment for Energy Sustainability in Housing Units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tania I. Lagunes Vega

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In order to achieve greater enhancements in energy sustainability for housing, the function and efficiency of two different passive cooling systems were studied: encapsulated water in recycled bottles of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET and polystyrene plates, in comparison with standard concrete slab systems, which are customarily used in housing. Experiments were placed over a tile surface, in which temperature changes were monitored for a period of 20 days from 08:00 to 20:00. The efficiency of passive thermal storage systems was endorsed through statistical analysis using the “SPSS” software. This resulted in a 17% energy saving, thus promoting energy sustainability in housing units, which reduces the use of electrical appliances required to stabilize conditions to achieve optimum thermal comfort for the human body inside a house, therefore, reducing electrical power consumption, CO2 emissions to the atmosphere and generating savings. Due to the complexity of a system with temperature changes, a fractal analysis was performed for each experimental system, using the “Benoit” software (V.1.3 with self-compatible tools of rescaled range (R/S and a wavelets method, showing that the thermal fluctuations on the tiles with the thermal storage system adapt to the rescaled range analysis and the regular tiles adapt to the wavelets method.

Flexibility of a combined heat and power system with thermal energy storage for district heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuytten, Thomas; Claessens, Bert; Paredis, Kristof; Van Bael, Johan; Six, Daan

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A generic model for flexibility assessment of thermal systems is proposed. ► The model is applied to a combined heat and power system with thermal energy storage. ► A centrally located storage offers more flexibility compared to individual units. ► Increasing the flexibility requires both a more powerful CHP and a larger buffer. - Abstract: The trend towards an increased importance of distributed (renewable) energy resources characterized by intermittent operation redefines the energy landscape. The stochastic nature of the energy systems on the supply side requires increased flexibility at the demand side. We present a model that determines the theoretical maximum of flexibility of a combined heat and power system coupled to a thermal energy storage solution that can be either centralized or decentralized. Conventional central heating, to meet the heat demand at peak moments, is also available. The implications of both storage concepts are evaluated in a reference district. The amount of flexibility created in the district heating system is determined by the approach of the system through delayed or forced operation mode. It is found that the distinction between the implementation of the thermal energy storage as a central unit or as a collection of local units, has a dramatic effect on the amount of available flexibility

Hydration of Magnesium Carbonate in a Thermal Energy Storage Process and Its Heating Application Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rickard Erlund

2018-01-01

Full Text Available First ideas of applications design using magnesium (hydro carbonates mixed with silica gel for day/night and seasonal thermal energy storage are presented. The application implies using solar (or another heat source for heating up the thermal energy storage (dehydration unit during daytime or summertime, of which energy can be discharged (hydration during night-time or winter. The applications can be used in small houses or bigger buildings. Experimental data are presented, determining and analysing kinetics and operating temperatures for the applications. In this paper the focus is on the hydration part of the process, which is the more challenging part, considering conversion and kinetics. Various operating temperatures for both the reactor and the water (storage tank are tested and the favourable temperatures are presented and discussed. Applications both using ground heat for water vapour generation and using water vapour from indoor air are presented. The thermal energy storage system with mixed nesquehonite (NQ and silica gel (SG can use both low (25–50% and high (75% relative humidity (RH air for hydration. The hydration at 40% RH gives a thermal storage capacity of 0.32 MJ/kg while 75% RH gives a capacity of 0.68 MJ/kg.

Review of thermal energy storage technologies based on PCM application in buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pomianowski, Michal Zbigniew; Heiselberg, Per; Zhang, Yinping

2013-01-01

Thermal energy storage systems (TES), using phase change material (PCM) in buildings, are widely investigated technologies and a fast developing research area. Therefore, there is a need for regular and consistent reviews of the published studies. This review is focused on PCM technologies...... is paid to discussion and identification of proper methods to correctly determine the thermal properties of PCM materials and their composites and as well procedures to determine their energy storage and saving potential. The purpose of the paper is to highlight promising technologies for PCM application...... developed to serve the building industry. Various PCM technologies tailored for building applications are studied with respect to technological potential to improve indoor environment, increase thermal inertia and decrease energy use for building operation. What is more, in this review special attention...

Discharging process of a finned heat pipe–assisted thermal energy storage system with high temperature phase change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiari, Saeed; Qiu, Songgang; Mahdavi, Mahboobe

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The discharging process of a latent heat thermal energy storage system is studied. • The thermal energy storage system is assisted by finned heat pipes. • The influences of heat pipe spacing and fins geometrical features are studied. • Smaller heat pipe spacing enhances the solidification rate. • Better heat pipe and fin arrangements are determined. - Abstract: This paper presents the results of a numerical study conducted to investigate the discharging process of a latent heat thermal energy storage system assisted by finned heat pipes. A two-dimensional finite volume based numerical model along with enthalpy-porosity technique is employed to simulate the phase change of storage media during the discharging mode. The thermal energy storage system in this study consists of a square container, finned heat pipes, and potassium nitrate (KNO 3 ) as the phase change material. The charging process of the same thermal energy storage system was reported in an early paper by the authors. This paper reports the results of discharging process of the thermal energy storage system. The influences of heat pipe spacing, fin geometry and quantities as well as the effects of natural convection heat transfer on the thermal performance of the storage system were studied. The results indicate that the phase change material solidification process is hardly affected by the natural convection. Decreasing the heat pipe spacing results in faster discharging process and higher container base wall temperature. Increasing the fins length does not change the discharging time but yields higher base wall temperature. Using more fins also accelerates the discharging process and increases the container base wall temperature.

Analysis of regenerative thermal storage geometries for solar gas turbines

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Klein, P

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Ceramic heat regenerators are suited to providing thermal storage for concentrating solar power stations based on a recuperated gas turbine cycle. Randomly packed beds of spheres and saddles; honeycombs and checker bricks were identified...

Energy system investment model incorporating heat pumps with thermal storage in buildings and buffer tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedegaard, Karsten; Balyk, Olexandr

2013-01-01

Individual compression heat pumps constitute a potentially valuable resource in supporting wind power integration due to their economic competitiveness and possibilities for flexible operation. When analysing the system benefits of flexible heat pump operation, effects on investments should be taken into account. In this study, we present a model that facilitates analysing individual heat pumps and complementing heat storages in integration with the energy system, while optimising both investments and operation. The model incorporates thermal building dynamics and covers various heat storage options: passive heat storage in the building structure via radiator heating, active heat storage in concrete floors via floor heating, and use of thermal storage tanks for space heating and hot water. It is shown that the model is well qualified for analysing possibilities and system benefits of operating heat pumps flexibly. This includes prioritising heat pump operation for hours with low marginal electricity production costs, and peak load shaving resulting in a reduced need for peak and reserve capacity investments. - Highlights: • Model optimising heat pumps and heat storages in integration with the energy system. • Optimisation of both energy system investments and operation. • Heat storage in building structure and thermal storage tanks included. • Model well qualified for analysing system benefits of flexible heat pump operation. • Covers peak load shaving and operation prioritised for low electricity prices

Numerical modeling of aquifer thermal energy storage system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jongchan [Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Geothermal Resources Department, 92 Gwahang-no, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-350 (Korea, Republic of); Kongju National University, Department of Geoenvironmental Sciences, 182 Singwan-dong, Gongju-si, Chungnam 314-701 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Youngmin [Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Geothermal Resources Department, 92 Gwahang-no, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-350 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Woon Sang; Jeon, Jae Soo [nexGeo Inc., 134-1 Garak 2-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-807 (Korea, Republic of); Koo, Min-Ho; Keehm, Youngseuk [Kongju National University, Department of Geoenvironmental Sciences, 182 Singwan-dong, Gongju-si, Chungnam 314-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2010-12-15

The performance of the ATES (aquifer thermal energy storage) system primarily depends on the thermal interference between warm and cold thermal energy stored in an aquifer. Additionally the thermal interference is mainly affected by the borehole distance, the hydraulic conductivity, and the pumping/injection rate. Thermo-hydraulic modeling was performed to identify the thermal interference by three parameters and to estimate the system performance change by the thermal interference. Modeling results indicate that the thermal interference grows as the borehole distance decreases, as the hydraulic conductivity increases, and as the pumping/injection rate increases. The system performance analysis indicates that if {eta} (the ratio of the length of the thermal front to the distance between two boreholes) is lower than unity, the system performance is not significantly affected, but if {eta} is equal to unity, the system performance falls up to {proportional_to}22%. Long term modeling for a factory in Anseong was conducted to test the applicability of the ATES system. When the pumping/injection rate is 100 m{sup 3}/day, system performances during the summer and winter after 3 years of operation are estimated to be {proportional_to}125 kW and {proportional_to}110 kW, respectively. Therefore, 100 m{sup 3}/day of the pumping/injection rate satisfies the energy requirements ({proportional_to}70 kW) for the factory. (author)

Rheological properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) derived composite membranes for fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Remiš, T.

2017-01-01

Rheological properties of new anhydrous proton conducting membrane based on PVA, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS),sulfosuccinic acid (SSA), titanium dioxide (TiO2)was examined at various stoichiometric ratios. SSA was used as sulfonating agents to form a crosslinked structure and as proton source, whereas TEO Sand TiO2were utilized to improve the thermal and mechanical properties of the membrane. In order to verify that all the substances were immobilized into the matrix, the membranes were analysed by means of FT-IR. The rheological, mechanical and thermal properties of the membranes were investigated using rheometer ARES G2 and thermogravimetic analyser (TGA).The analysis of mixed PVA solutions exhibited a unique behaviour of viscosity with increased crosslink density. The dynamic storage modulus G´ of dried composite membranes shows better mechanical resistance and increased tolerance to pressure applied during membrane electrode assembly (MEA).

Thermal reliability test of Al-34%Mg-6%Zn alloy as latent heat storage material and corrosion of metal with respect to thermal cycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, J.Q.; Zhang, R.Y.; Liu, Z.P.; Lu, G.H.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the thermal reliability and corrosion of the Al-34%Mg-6%Zn alloy as a latent heat energy storage material with respect to various numbers of thermal cycles. The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis technique was applied to the alloy after 0, 50, 500 and 1000 melting/solidification cycles in order to measure the melting temperatures and the latent heats of fusion of the alloy. The containment materials were stainless steel (SS304L), carbon steel (steel C20) in the corrosion tests. The DSC results indicated that the change in melting temperature for the alloy was in the range of 3.06-5.3 K, and the latent heat of fusion decreased 10.98% after 1000 thermal cycles. The results show that the investigated Al-34%Mg-6%Zn alloy has a good thermal reliability as a latent heat energy storage material with respect to thermal cycling for thermal energy storage applications in the long term in view of the small changes in the latent heat of fusion and melting temperature. Gravimetric analysis as mass loss (mg/cm 2 ), corrosion rate (mg/day) and a microscopic or metallographic investigation were performed for corrosion tests and showed that SS304L may be considered a more suitable alloy than C20 in long term thermal storage applications

High Efficiency and Low Cost Thermal Energy Storage System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sienicki, James J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Lv, Qiuping [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Moisseytsev, Anton [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Bucknor, Matthew [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division

2017-09-29

BgtL, LLC (BgtL) is focused on developing and commercializing its proprietary compact technology for processes in the energy sector. One such application is a compact high efficiency Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system that utilizes the heat of fusion through phase change between solid and liquid to store and release energy at high temperatures and incorporate state-of-the-art insulation to minimize heat dissipation. BgtL’s TES system would greatly improve the economics of existing nuclear and coal-fired power plants by allowing the power plant to store energy when power prices are low and sell power into the grid when prices are high. Compared to existing battery storage technology, BgtL’s novel thermal energy storage solution can be significantly less costly to acquire and maintain, does not have any waste or environmental emissions, and does not deteriorate over time; it can keep constant efficiency and operates cleanly and safely. BgtL’s engineers are experienced in this field and are able to design and engineer such a system to a specific power plant’s requirements. BgtL also has a strong manufacturing partner to fabricate the system such that it qualifies for an ASME code stamp. BgtL’s vision is to be the leading provider of compact systems for various applications including energy storage. BgtL requests that all technical information about the TES designs be protected as proprietary information. To honor that request, only non-proprietay summaries are included in this report.

Thermal energy storage for the Stirling engine powered automobile

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, D. T. (Editor)

1979-01-01

A thermal energy storage (TES) system developed for use with the Stirling engine as an automotive power system has gravimetric and volumetric storage densities which are competitive with electric battery storage systems, meets all operational requirements for a practical vehicle, and can be packaged in compact sized automobiles with minimum impact on passenger and freight volume. The TES/Stirling system is the only storage approach for direct use of combustion heat from fuel sources not suitable for direct transport and use on the vehicle. The particular concept described is also useful for a dual mode TES/liquid fuel system in which the TES (recharged from an external energy source) is used for short duration trips (approximately 10 miles or less) and liquid fuel carried on board the vehicle used for long duration trips. The dual mode approach offers the potential of 50 percent savings in the consumption of premium liquid fuels for automotive propulsion in the United States.

Space Evaporator Absorber Radiator (SEAR) for Thermal Storage on Manned Spacecraft

Science.gov (United States)

Izenson, Michael G.; Chen, Weibo; Chepko, Ariane; Bue, Grant; Quinn, Gregory

2015-01-01

Future manned exploration spacecraft will need to operate in challenging thermal environments. State-of-the-art technology for active thermal control relies on sublimating water ice and venting the vapor overboard in very hot environments, and or heavy phase change material heat exchangers for thermal storage. These approaches can lead to large loss of water and a significant mass penalties for the spacecraft. This paper describes an innovative thermal control system that uses a Space Evaporator Absorber Radiator (SEAR) to control spacecraft temperatures in highly variable environments without venting water. SEAR uses heat pumping and energy storage by LiCl/water absorption to enable effective cooling during hot periods and regeneration during cool periods. The LiCl absorber technology has the potential to absorb over 800 kJ per kg of system mass, compared to phase change heat sink systems that typically achieve approx. 50 kJ/kg. This paper describes analysis models to predict performance and optimize the size of the SEAR system, estimated size and mass of key components, and an assessment of potential mass savings compared with alternative thermal management approaches. We also describe a concept design for an ISS test package to demonstrate operation of a subscale system in zero gravity.

Study of the valorisation of thermal storage and of power-to-heat. Study report + Study synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canal, Patrick; Gerbaud, Manon; Mouret, Sylvain; Chammas, Maxime; Attard, Pierre; Bucy, Jacques de; Lochmann, Hugo; Le Gars, Loic; Payen, Luc; Lesueur, Herve

2016-11-01

This study aimed at assessing the potential of thermal storage and of power-to-heat in France, and at identifying relevant technological sectors by 2030. In order to do so, the study aimed at quantifying the value of these sectors for applications considered as relevant, this value lying in the valorisation of heat or electric power excesses, in the power arbitration, and in investment savings. Analyses have have been performed on case studies through an assessment of storage value and of P2H (Power-to-Heat) for the collectivity, a joint optimisation of fleet sizing and management, a modelling of power system fundamentals, an analysis of the profitability of storage and P2H projects, and an assessment of the technical source and of the impact on jobs. Thus, after an overview of thermal storage and power-to-heat technologies, and a presentation of the adopted methodology (definition of case studies, case study methodology, modelling hypotheses related to production and consumption, and modelling of the power system), the authors report the study of the sizing of biomass boilers in an urban heat network (determination of the storage value for the community), the study of development of an urban heat network (storage value for the community and for the operator, technological perspective by 2030), the study of the use of power-to-heat and storage for an urban heat network (value for the community, profitability and business model, perspective by 2030), the study of unavoidable heat recovery on an industrial site (value, profitability and business model, perspective by 2030), the study of co-generation and thermal storage on an industrial site (value, impact on income), the study of domestic thermal storage and of the flexibility of the French electric power system (impact of thermal water heaters on the flexibility), and the study of the impact on employment (jobs related to the domestic market and to the development of an exporting sector). Appendices propose sheets

IEA SHC Task 42 / ECES Annex 29 - Working Group B: Applications of Compact Thermal Energy Storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Helden, W. van; Yamaha, M.; Rathgeber, C.; Hauer, A.; Huaylla, F.; Le Pierrès, N.; Stutz, B.; Mette, B.; Dolado, P.; Lazaro, A.; Mazo, J.; Dannemand, M.; Furbo, S.; Campos-Celador, A.; Diarce, G.; Cuypers, R.; König-Haagen, A.; Höhlein, S.; Brüggemann, D.; Fumey, B.; Weber, R.; Köll, R.; Wagner, W.; Daguenet-Frick, X.; Gantenbein, P.; Kuznik, F.

2016-01-01

The IEA joint Task 42 / Annex 29 is aimed at developing compact thermal energy storage materials and systems. In Working Group B, experts are working on the development of compact thermal energy storage applications, in the areas cooling, domestic heating and hot water and industry. The majority of

A method to determine stratification efficiency of thermal energy storage processes independently from storage heat losses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haller, M.Y.; Yazdanshenas, Eshagh; Andersen, Elsa

2010-01-01

process is in agreement with the first law of thermodynamics. A comparison of the stratification efficiencies obtained from experimental results of charging, standby, and discharging processes gives meaningful insights into the different mixing behaviors of a storage tank that is charged and discharged......A new method for the calculation of a stratification efficiency of thermal energy storages based on the second law of thermodynamics is presented. The biasing influence of heat losses is studied theoretically and experimentally. Theoretically, it does not make a difference if the stratification...

Effects of deformability and thermal motion of lipid membrane on electroporation: By molecular dynamics simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Sheng; Yin, Guangyao; Lee, Yi-Kuen; Wong, Joseph T.Y.; Zhang, Tong-Yi

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → MD simulations show that deformability and thermal motion of membrane affect electroporation. → Stiffer membrane inhibits electroporation and makes water penetrate from both sides. → Higher temperature accelerates electroporation. -- Abstract: Effects of mechanical properties and thermal motion of POPE lipid membrane on electroporation were studied by molecular dynamics simulations. Among simulations in which specific atoms of lipids were artificially constrained at their equilibrium positions using a spring with force constant of 2.0 kcal/(mol A 2 ) in the external electric field of 1.4 kcal/(mol A e), only constraint on lateral motions of lipid tails prohibited electroporation while non-tail parts had little effects. When force constant decreased to 0.2 kcal/(mol A 2 ) in the position constraints on lipid tails in the external electric field of 2.0 kcal/(mol A e), water molecules began to enter the membrane. Position constraints of lipid tails allow water to penetrate from both sides of membrane. Thermal motion of lipids can induce initial defects in the hydrophobic core of membrane, which are favorable nucleation sites for electroporation. Simulations at different temperatures revealed that as the temperature increases, the time taken to the initial pore formation will decrease.

Thermal properties of calorimeters with Ti/Au transition-edge sensors on silicon nitride membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ukibe, M.; Tanaka, K.; Koyanagi, M.; Morooka, T.; Pressler, H.; Ohkubo, M.; Kobayashi, N.

2000-01-01

We are developing X-ray microcalorimeters employing superconducting-transition-edge sensors (TESs) for relatively high operation-temperatures of an 3 He cryostat. The TESs are proximity bilayers of Ti and Au. An important thermal parameters, the thermal conductance G, of the microcalorimeters on SiN x membranes was evaluated by a simple method using R-T curves at different bias currents. It has been shown that the G value can be controlled by altering the membrane thickness and size

Absence of storage effects on radiation damage after thermal neutron irradiation of dry rice seeds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kowyama, Y. [Mie Univ., Tsu (Japan); Saito, M.; Kawase, T.

1987-09-15

Storage effects on dry rice seeds equilibrated to 6.8% moisture content were examined after irradiation with X-rays of 5, 10, 20 and 40 kR and with thermal neutrons of 2.1, 4.2, 6.3 and 8.4×10{sup 13}N{sub th}/cm{sup 2}. Reduction in root growth was estimated from dose response curves after storage periods of 1 hr to 21 days. The longer the storage period, the greater enhancement of radiation damages in X-irradiated seeds. There were two components in the storage effect, i. e., a rapid increase of radiosensitivity within the first 24 hr and a slow increase up to 21 days. An almost complete absence of a storage effect was observed after thermal neutron exposure, in spite of considerably high radioactivities of the induced nuclides, {sup 56}Mn, {sup 42}K and {sup 24}Na, which were detected from gamma-ray spectrometry of the irradiated seeds. The present results suggest that the contributions of gamma-rays from the activated nuclides and of inherent contaminating gamma-rays are little or negligible against the neutron-induced damage, and that the main radiobiological effects of thermal neutrons are ascribed to in situ radiations, i, e., heavy particles resulting from neutron-capture reaction of atom. A mechanism underlying the absence of storage effect after thermal neutron irradiation was briefly discussed on the basis of radical formation and decay. (author)

Numerical Simulation of the Thermal Performance of a Dry Storage Cask for Spent Nuclear Fuel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heui-Yung Chang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, the heat flow characteristics and thermal performance of a dry storage cask were investigated via thermal flow experiments and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD simulation. The results indicate that there are many inner circulations in the flow channel of the cask (the channel width is 10 cm. These circulations affect the channel airflow efficiency, which in turn affects the heat dissipation of the dry storage cask. The daily operating temperatures at the top concrete lid and the upper locations of the concrete cask are higher than those permitted by the design specification. The installation of the salt particle collection device has a limited negative effect on the thermal dissipation performance of the dry storage cask.

Thermal tests of a transport / Storage cask in buried conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakawa, H.; Gomi, Y.; Saegusa, T.; Ito, C.

1998-01-01

Thermal tests for a hypothetical accident which simulated accidents caused by building collapse in case of an earthquake were conducted using a full-scale dry type transport and storage cask (total heat load: 23 kW). The objectives of these tests were to clarify the heat transfer features of the buried cask under such accidents and the time limit for maintaining the thermal integrity of the cask. Moreover, thermal analyses of the test cask under the buried conditions were carried out on basis of experimental results to establish methodology for the thermal analysis. The characteristics of the test cask are described as well as the test method used. The heat transfer features of the buried cask under such accidents and a time for maintaining the thermal integrity of the cask have been obtained. (O.M.)

Thermal conductivity and latent heat thermal energy storage properties of LDPE/wax as a shape-stabilized composite phase change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trigui, Abdelwaheb; Karkri, Mustapha; Krupa, Igor

2014-01-01

Highlights: • This study deals with the comparison of experimental results for different PCM composite to be used in passive solar walls. • This paper reports on the successful use of a specific experimental method in order to characterize the phase change effects. • The results have shown that most important thermal properties of these composites at the solid and liquid states. • Results indicate the thermal effectiveness of phase change material and significant amount of energy saving can be achieved. • Heat flux measurements are a very interesting experimental source of data which comes to complete the calorimetric device (DSC). - Abstract: Phase change material (PCM) composites based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with paraffin waxes were investigated in this study. The composites were prepared using a meltmixing method with a Brabender-Plastograph. The LDPE as the supporting matrix kept the molten waxes in compact shape during its phase transition from solid to liquid. Immiscibility of the PCMs (waxes) and the supporting matrix (LDPE) is a necessary property for effective energy storage. Therefore, this type paraffin can be used in a latent heat storage system without encapsulation. The objective of this research is to use PCM composite as integrated components in a passive solar wall. The proposed composite TROMBE wall allows daily storage of the solar energy in a building envelope and restitution in the evening, with a possible control of the air flux in a ventilated air layer. An experimental set-up was built to determine the thermal response of these composites to thermal solicitations. In addition, a DSC analysis was carried out. The results have shown that most important thermal properties of these composites at the solid and liquid states, like the “apparent” thermal conductivity, the heat storage capacity and the latent heat of fusion. Results indicate the performance of the proposed system is affected by the thermal effectiveness of

Compatibility tests between Solar Salt and thermal storage ceramics from inorganic industrial wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motte, Fabrice; Falcoz, Quentin; Veron, Emmanuel; Py, Xavier

2015-01-01

Highlights: • ESEM and XRD characterizations have been performed. • Compatibility of these ceramics with the conventional binary Solar Salt is tested at 500 °C. • Tested ceramics have relevant properties to store thermal energy up to 1000 °C. • Feasibility of using ceramics as filler materials in thermocline is demonstrated. - Abstract: This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using several post-industrial ceramics as filler materials in a direct thermocline storage configuration. The tested ceramics, coming from several industrial processes (asbestos containing waste treatment, coal fired power plants or metallurgic furnaces) demonstrate relevant properties to store thermal energy by sensible heat up to 1000 °C. Thus, they represent at low-cost a promising, efficient and sustainable approach for thermal energy storage. In the present study, the thermo-chemical compatibility of these ceramics with the conventional binary Solar Salt is tested at medium temperature (500 °C) under steady state. In order to determine the feasibility of using such ceramics as filler material, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) characterizations have been performed to check for their chemical and structural evolution during corrosion tests. The final objective is to develop a molten salt thermocline direct storage system using low-cost shaped ceramic as structured filler material. Most of the tested ceramics present an excellent corrosion resistance in molten Solar Salt and should significantly decrease the current cost of concentrated solar thermal energy storage system

Thermal Adaptation of the Archaeal and Bacterial Lipid Membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Koga, Yosuke

2012-01-01

The physiological characteristics that distinguish archaeal and bacterial lipids, as well as those that define thermophilic lipids, are discussed from three points of view that (1) the role of the chemical stability of lipids in the heat tolerance of thermophilic organisms: (2) the relevance of the increase in the proportion of certain lipids as the growth temperature increases: (3) the lipid bilayer membrane properties that enable membranes to function at high temperatures. It is concluded that no single, chemically stable lipid by itself was responsible for the adaptation of surviving at high temperatures. Lipid membranes that function effectively require the two properties of a high permeability barrier and a liquid crystalline state. Archaeal membranes realize these two properties throughout the whole biological temperature range by means of their isoprenoid chains. Bacterial membranes meet these requirements only at or just above the phase-transition temperature, and therefore their fatty acid composition must be elaborately regulated. A recent hypothesis sketched a scenario of the evolution of lipids in which the “lipid divide” emerged concomitantly with the differentiation of archaea and bacteria. The two modes of thermal adaptation were established concurrently with the “lipid divide.” PMID:22927779

Thermal Adaptation of the Archaeal and Bacterial Lipid Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yosuke Koga

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The physiological characteristics that distinguish archaeal and bacterial lipids, as well as those that define thermophilic lipids, are discussed from three points of view that (1 the role of the chemical stability of lipids in the heat tolerance of thermophilic organisms: (2 the relevance of the increase in the proportion of certain lipids as the growth temperature increases: (3 the lipid bilayer membrane properties that enable membranes to function at high temperatures. It is concluded that no single, chemically stable lipid by itself was responsible for the adaptation of surviving at high temperatures. Lipid membranes that function effectively require the two properties of a high permeability barrier and a liquid crystalline state. Archaeal membranes realize these two properties throughout the whole biological temperature range by means of their isoprenoid chains. Bacterial membranes meet these requirements only at or just above the phase-transition temperature, and therefore their fatty acid composition must be elaborately regulated. A recent hypothesis sketched a scenario of the evolution of lipids in which the “lipid divide” emerged concomitantly with the differentiation of archaea and bacteria. The two modes of thermal adaptation were established concurrently with the “lipid divide.”

Design and installation manual for thermal energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cole, R L; Nield, K J; Rohde, R R; Wolosewicz, R M [eds.

1979-02-01

The purpose for this manual is to provide information on the design and installation of thermal energy storage in solar heating systems. It is intended for contractors, installers, solar system designers, engineers, architects, and manufacturers who intend to enter the solar energy business. The reader should have general knowledge of how solar heating systems operate and knowledge of construction methods and building codes. Knowledge of solar analysis methods such as f-chart, SOLCOST, DOE-1, or TRNSYS would be helpful. The information contained in the manual includes sizing storage, choosing a location for the storage device, and insulation requirements. Both air-based and liquid-based systems are covered with topics on designing rock beds, tank types, pump and fan selection, installation, costs, and operation and maintenance. Topics relevant to heating domestic water include safety, single- and dual-tank systems, domestic water heating with air- and liquid-based space heating system, and stand-alone domestic hot water systems. Several appendices present common problems with storage systems and their solutions, heat transfer fluid properties, heat exchanger sizing, and sample specifications for heat exchangers, wooden rock bins, steel tanks, concrete tanks, and fiberglass-reinforced plastic tanks.

Alterations in membrane trafficking and pathophysiological implications in lysosomal storage disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuech, Eva-Maria; Brogden, Graham; Naim, Hassan Y

2016-11-01

Lysosomal storage disorders are a heterogeneous group of more than 50 distinct inborn metabolic diseases affecting about 1 in 5000 to 7000 live births. The diseases often result from mutations followed by functional deficiencies of enzymes or transporters within the acidic environment of the lysosome, which mediate the degradation of a wide subset of substrates, including glycosphingolipids, glycosaminoglycans, cholesterol, glycogen, oligosaccharides, peptides and glycoproteins, or the export of the respective degradation products from the lysosomes. The progressive accumulation of uncleaved substrates occurs in multiple organs and finally causes a broad spectrum of different pathologies including visceral, neurological, skeletal and hematologic manifestations. Besides deficient lysosomal enzymes and transporters other defects may lead to lysosomal storage disorders, including activator defects, membrane defects or defects in modifier proteins. In this review we concentrate on four different lysosomal storage disorders: Niemann-Pick type C, Fabry disease, Gaucher disease and Pompe disease. While the last three are caused by defective lysosomal hydrolases, Niemann-Pick type C is caused by the inability to export LDL-derived cholesterol out of the lysosome. We want to emphasise potential implications of membrane trafficking defects on the pathology of these diseases, as many mutations interfere with correct lysosomal protein trafficking and alter cellular lipid homeostasis. Current therapeutic strategies are summarised, including substrate reduction therapy as well as pharmacological chaperone therapy which directly aim to improve folding and lysosomal transport of misfolded mutant proteins. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

Radiation Heat Transfer Modeling Improved for Phase-Change, Thermal Energy Storage Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kerslake, Thomas W.; Jacqmin, David A.

1998-01-01

Spacecraft solar dynamic power systems typically use high-temperature phase-change materials to efficiently store thermal energy for heat engine operation in orbital eclipse periods. Lithium fluoride salts are particularly well suited for this application because of their high heat of fusion, long-term stability, and appropriate melting point. Considerable attention has been focused on the development of thermal energy storage (TES) canisters that employ either pure lithium fluoride (LiF), with a melting point of 1121 K, or eutectic composition lithium-fluoride/calcium-difluoride (LiF-20CaF2), with a 1040 K melting point, as the phase-change material. Primary goals of TES canister development include maximizing the phase-change material melt fraction, minimizing the canister mass per unit of energy storage, and maximizing the phase-change material thermal charge/discharge rates within the limits posed by the container structure.

A solar air collector with integrated latent heat thermal storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klimes Lubomir

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Simulations of the behaviour of a solar air collector with integrated latent heat thermal storage were performed. The model of the collector was created with the use of coupling between TRNSYS 17 and MATLAB. Latent heat storage (Phase Change Material - PCM was integrated with the solar absorber. The model of the latent heat storage absorber was created in MATLAB and the model of the solar air collector itself was created in TRNSYS with the use of TYPE 56. The model of the latent heat storage absorber allows specification of the PCM properties as well as other parameters. The simulated air collector was the front and back pass collector with the absorber in the middle of the air cavity. Two variants were considered for comparison; the light-weight absorber made of sheet metal and the heat-storage absorber with the PCM. Simulations were performed for the climatic conditions of the Czech Republic (using TMY weather data.

Plutonium storage thermal analysis (U)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hensel, S.J.; Lee, S.Y.; Schaade, J.B.

1997-01-01

Thermal modeling of plutonium metal ingots stored in food pack cans provides information useful for performing stored material safety evaluations. Four storage can geometries were modeled, and several conclusions can be made from the 14 cases analyzed. The ingot temperature increased from 7 degrees F to 12 degrees F (depending on can configuration) per additional watt of power. Including internal convection lowers computed ingot temperatures by 70 degrees F. Accounting for the heat flow through the bottom of the cans to the storage rack lowered computed ingot temperatures by an additional 70 degrees F to 80 degrees F. In the rimmed can systems storing ingots with a power of 10.35 watts, the ingot temperature varies from 190 degrees F to 213 degrees F. Including a plastic bag between the inner and outer can increases the ingot temperature by 15 degrees F. Adding a label to the outer can side reduces the outer can side temperature by 13 degrees F. Changes in ambient temperature affect the outer can temperatures more than the ingot temperature by a factor of 3. Similarly, a 5 degrees F drop in outer can temperature due to increased convection lowered the ingot temperature by only 2 degrees F

Composite materials for thermal energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, D. K.; Burrows, R. W.; Shinton, Y. D.

1985-01-01

A composite material for thermal energy storage based upon polyhydric alcohols, such as pentaerythritol, trimethylol ethane (also known as pentaglycerine), neopentyl glycol and related compounds including trimethylol propane, monoaminopentaerythritol, diamino-pentaerythritol and tris(hydroxymethyl)acetic acid, separately or in combinations, which provide reversible heat storage through crystalline phase transformations are discussed. These PCM's do not become liquid during use and are in contact with at least one material selected from the group consisting of metals, carbon, siliceous, plastic, cellulosic, natural fiber, artificial fiber, concrete, gypsum, porous rock, and mixtures thereof. Particulate additions such as aluminum or graphite powders, as well as metal and carbon fibers can also be incorporated therein. Particulate and/or fibrous additions can be introduced into molten phase change materials which can then be cast into various shapes. After the phase change materials have solidified, the additions will remain dispersed throughout the matrix of the cast solid. The polyol is in contact with at least one material selected from the group consisting of metals, carbon, siliceous, plastic, cellulosic, natural fiber, artificial fiber, concrete, gypsum, and mixtures thereof.

Composite materials for thermal energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, D.K.; Burrows, R.W.; Shinton, Y.D.

1985-01-04

A composite material for thermal energy storage based upon polyhydric alcohols, such as pentaerythritol, trimethylol ethane (also known as pentaglycerine), neopentyl glycol and related compounds including trimethylol propane, monoaminopentaerythritol, diamino-pentaerythritol and tris(hydroxymethyl)acetic acid, separately or in combinations, which provide reversible heat storage through crystalline phase transformations. These PCM's do not become liquid during use and are in contact with at least one material selected from the group consisting of metals, carbon, siliceous, plastic, cellulosic, natural fiber, artificial fiber, concrete, gypsum, porous rock, and mixtures thereof. Particulate additions such as aluminum or graphite powders, as well as metal and carbon fibers can also be incorporated therein. Particulate and/or fibrous additions can be introduced into molten phase change materials which can then be cast into various shapes. After the phase change materials have solidified, the additions will remain dispersed throughout the matrix of the cast solid. The polyol is in contact with at least one material selected from the group consisting of metals, carbon, siliceous, plastic, cellulosic, natural fiber, artificial fiber, concrete, gypsum, and mixtures thereof.

Thermal energy storage using thermo-chemical heat pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamdan, M.A.; Rossides, S.D.; Haj Khalil, R.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Understanding of the performance of thermo chemical heat pump. ► Tool for storing thermal energy. ► Parameters that affect the amount of thermal stored energy. ► Lithium chloride has better effect on storing thermal energy. - Abstract: A theoretical study was performed to investigate the potential of storing thermal energy using a heat pump which is a thermo-chemical storage system consisting of water as sorbet, and sodium chloride as the sorbent. The effect of different parameters namely; the amount of vaporized water from the evaporator, the system initial temperature and the type of salt on the increase in temperature of the salt was investigated and hence on the performance of the thermo chemical heat pump. It was found that the performance of the heat pump improves with the initial system temperature, with the amount of water vaporized and with the water remaining in the system. Finally it was also found that lithium chloride salt has higher effect on the performance of the heat pump that of sodium chloride.

Effect of kinetics on the thermal performance of a sorption heat storage reactor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gaeini, M.; Zondag, H.A.; Rindt, C.C.M.

2016-01-01

To reach high solar fractions for solar thermal energy in the built environment, long-term heat storage is required to overcome the seasonal mismatch. A promising method for long term heat storage is to use thermochemical materials, TCMs. In this research, a lab-scale test thermochemical heat

Computational Analysis on Performance of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Diffuser

Science.gov (United States)

Adib, M. A. H. M.; Adnan, F.; Ismail, A. R.; Kardigama, K.; Salaam, H. A.; Ahmad, Z.; Johari, N. H.; Anuar, Z.; Azmi, N. S. N.

2012-09-01

Application of thermal energy storage (TES) system reduces cost and energy consumption. The performance of the overall operation is affected by diffuser design. In this study, computational analysis is used to determine the thermocline thickness. Three dimensional simulations with different tank height-to-diameter ratio (HD), diffuser opening and the effect of difference number of diffuser holes are investigated. Medium HD tanks simulations with double ring octagonal diffuser show good thermocline behavior and clear distinction between warm and cold water. The result show, the best performance of thermocline thickness during 50% time charging occur in medium tank with height-to-diameter ratio of 4.0 and double ring octagonal diffuser with 48 holes (9mm opening ~ 60%) acceptable compared to diffuser with 6mm ~ 40% and 12mm ~ 80% opening. The conclusion is computational analysis method are very useful in the study on performance of thermal energy storage (TES).

Exact solution of thermal energy storage system using PCM flat slabs configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bechiri, Mohammed; Mansouri, Kacem

2013-01-01

Highlights: • An exact solution of a latent heat storage unit (LHSU) consisting of several flat slabs was obtained. • The working fluid (HTF) circulating by forced convection between the slabs charges and discharges the storage unit. • The charging/discharging process is investigated for various HTF working conditions and different design parameters. - Abstract: An analytical investigation of thermal energy storage system (TESS) consisting of several flat slabs of phase change material (PCM) is presented. The working fluid (HTF) circulating on laminar forced convection between the slabs charges and discharges the storage unit. The melting and solidification of the PCM was treated as a radial one dimensional conduction problem. The forced convective heat transfer inside the channels is analyzed by solving the energy equation, which is coupled with the heat conduction equation in the PCM container. The comparison between the present exact solution with the numerical predictions and experimental data available in literature shows good agreement. The charging/discharging process is investigated in terms of liquid–solid interface position, liquid fraction, total heat transmitted to the PCM and thermal storage efficiency for various HTF working conditions and different design parameters such as PCM slab length, fluid passage gap and thickness of PCM duct container

Rheological properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) derived composite membranes for fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Remiš, T

2017-01-01

Rheological properties of new anhydrous proton conducting membrane based on PVA, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS),sulfosuccinic acid (SSA), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 )was examined at various stoichiometric ratios. SSA was used as sulfonating agents to form a crosslinked structure and as proton source, whereas TEO Sand TiO 2 were utilized to improve the thermal and mechanical properties of the membrane. In order to verify that all the substances were immobilized into the matrix, the membranes were analysed by means of FT-IR. The rheological, mechanical and thermal properties of the membranes were investigated using rheometer ARES G2 and thermogravimetic analyser (TGA).The analysis of mixed PVA solutions exhibited a unique behaviour of viscosity with increased crosslink density. The dynamic storage modulus G´ of dried composite membranes shows better mechanical resistance and increased tolerance to pressure applied during membrane electrode assembly (MEA). (paper)

Demonstration of EnergyNest thermal energy storage (TES) technology

Science.gov (United States)

Hoivik, Nils; Greiner, Christopher; Tirado, Eva Bellido; Barragan, Juan; Bergan, Pâl; Skeie, Geir; Blanco, Pablo; Calvet, Nicolas

2017-06-01

This paper presents the experimental results from the EnergyNest 2 × 500 kWhth thermal energy storage (TES) pilot system installed at Masdar Institute of Science & Technology Solar Platform. Measured data are shown and compared to simulations using a specially developed computer program to verify the stability and performance of the TES. The TES is based on a solid-state concrete storage medium (HEATCRETE®) with integrated steel tube heat exchangers cast into the concrete. The unique concrete recipe used in the TES has been developed in collaboration with Heidelberg Cement; this material has significantly higher thermal conductivity compared to regular concrete implying very effective heat transfer, at the same time being chemically stable up to 450 °C. The demonstrated and measured performance of the TES matches the predictions based on simulations, and proves the operational feasibility of the EnergyNest concrete-based TES. A further case study is analyzed where a large-scale TES system presented in this article is compared to two-tank indirect molten salt technology.

Evaluation of solar thermal storages with quantitative flow visualisation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Logie, W.; Frank, E.; Luzzi, A.

2008-07-15

The non-intrusive Quantitative Flow Visualisation (QFV) Techniques of Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) and Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) have been evaluated in the context of experimental investigations on solar Thermal Energy Storages (TES). Much competence and experience has been gained in the integration of these powerful yet complex and time consuming flow analysis methods into the realm of laboratory experimentation. In addition to gathering experience in the application of QFV techniques, a number of charging and discharging variations were considered in light of exergetic evaluation for the influence they have on the ability of a TES to stratify. The contemporary awareness that poorly chosen pitch to diameter ratios by the design of immersed coil heat exchangers leads to a reduction in heat exchange and an increase in mixing phenomenon has been confirmed. The observation of two combitank (combined domestic hot water and space heating) configurations has shown that free convective heat transfer forces in the form of mixing energy play a significant role in the stratification efficiency of thermal energy storages. (author)

Cna 1 spent fuel element interim dry storage system thermal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hilal, R. E; Garcia, J. C; Delmastro, D. F

2006-01-01

At the moment, the Atucha I Nuclear Power Plant (Cnea-I) located in the city of Lima, has enough room to store its spent fuel (Sf) in their two pools spent fuel until about 2015.In case of life extension a spend fuel element interim dry storage system is needed.Nucleolectrica Argentina S.A. (N A-S A) and the Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (Cnea), have proposed different interim dry storage systems.These systems have to be evaluated in order to choose one of them.The present work's objective is the thermal analysis of one dry storage alternative for the Sf element of Cna 1.In this work a simple model was developed and used to perform the thermal calculations corresponding to the system proposed by Cnea.This system considers the store of sealed containers with 37 spent fuels in concrete modules.Each one of the containers is filled in the pool houses and transported to the module in a transference cask with lead walls.Fulfill the maximum cladding temperature requirement ( [es

Thermal Analysis of a Thermal Energy Storage Unit to Enhance a Workshop Heating System Driven by Industrial Residual Water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenqiang Sun

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Various energy sources can be used for room heating, among which waste heat utilization has significantly improved in recent years. However, the majority of applicable waste heat resources are high-grade or stable thermal energy, while the low-grade or unstable waste heat resources, especially low-temperature industrial residual water (IRW, are insufficiently used. A thermal energy storage (TES unit with paraffin wax as a phase change material (PCM is designed to solve this problem in a pharmaceutical plant. The mathematical models are developed to simulate the heat storage and release processes of the TES unit. The crucial parameters in the recurrence formulae are determined: the phase change temperature range of the paraffin wax used is 47 to 56 °C, and the latent heat is 171.4 kJ/kg. Several thermal behaviors, such as the changes of melting radius, solidification radius, and fluid temperature, are simulated. In addition, the amount of heat transferred, the heat transfer rate, and the heat storage efficiency are discussed. It is presented that the medicine production unit could save 10.25% of energy consumption in the investigated application.

Investigation of thermal storage and steam generator issues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-08-01

A review and evaluation of steam generator and thermal storage tank designs for commercial nitrate salt technology showed that the potential exists to procure both on a competitive basis from a number of qualified vendors. The report outlines the criteria for review and the results of the review, which was intended only to assess the feasibility of each design, not to make a comparison or select the best concept.

Basic Considerations for Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuels and Revisited CFD Thermal Analysis on the Concrete Cask

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noh, Jae Soo [ACT Co. Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Younwon; Song, Sub Lee [BEES Inc., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyeun Min [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

The integrity of storage facility and also of the spent nuclear fuel itself is considered very important. Storage casks can be located in a designated area on a site or in a designated storage building. A number of different designs for dry storage have been developed and used in different countries. Dry storage system was classified into two categories by IAEA. One is container including cask and silo, the other one is vault. However, there is various way of categorization for dry storage system. Dry silo and cask are usually classified separately, so the dry storage system can be classified into three different types. Furthermore, dry cask storage can be categorized into two types based on the type of the materials, concrete cask and metal cask. In this paper, the design characteristics of dry storage cask are introduced and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based thermal analysis for concrete cask is revisited. Basic principles for dry storage cask design were described. Based on that, thermal analysis of concrete dry cask was introduced from the study of H. M. Kim et al. From the CFD calculation, the temperature of concrete wall was maintained under the safety criteria. From this fundamental analysis, further investigations are expected. For example, thermal analysis on the metal cask, thermal analysis on horizontally laid spent nuclear fuel assemblies for transportation concerns, and investigations on better performance of natural air circulation in dry cask can be promising candidates.

Basic Considerations for Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuels and Revisited CFD Thermal Analysis on the Concrete Cask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noh, Jae Soo; Park, Younwon; Song, Sub Lee; Kim, Hyeun Min

2016-01-01

The integrity of storage facility and also of the spent nuclear fuel itself is considered very important. Storage casks can be located in a designated area on a site or in a designated storage building. A number of different designs for dry storage have been developed and used in different countries. Dry storage system was classified into two categories by IAEA. One is container including cask and silo, the other one is vault. However, there is various way of categorization for dry storage system. Dry silo and cask are usually classified separately, so the dry storage system can be classified into three different types. Furthermore, dry cask storage can be categorized into two types based on the type of the materials, concrete cask and metal cask. In this paper, the design characteristics of dry storage cask are introduced and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based thermal analysis for concrete cask is revisited. Basic principles for dry storage cask design were described. Based on that, thermal analysis of concrete dry cask was introduced from the study of H. M. Kim et al. From the CFD calculation, the temperature of concrete wall was maintained under the safety criteria. From this fundamental analysis, further investigations are expected. For example, thermal analysis on the metal cask, thermal analysis on horizontally laid spent nuclear fuel assemblies for transportation concerns, and investigations on better performance of natural air circulation in dry cask can be promising candidates

Applications of thermal energy storage to waste heat recovery in the food processing industry

Science.gov (United States)

Wojnar, F.; Lunberg, W. L.

1980-01-01

A study to assess the potential for waste heat recovery in the food industry and to evaluate prospective waste heat recovery system concepts employing thermal energy storage was conducted. The study found that the recovery of waste heat in canning facilities can be performed in significant quantities using systems involving thermal energy storage that are both practical and economical. A demonstration project is proposed to determine actual waste heat recovery costs and benefits and to encourage system implementation by the food industry.

Preparation, thermal properties and thermal reliabilities of microencapsulated n-octadecane with acrylic-based polymer shells for thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu, Xiaolin; Song, Guolin; Chu, Xiaodong; Li, Xuezhu; Tang, Guoyi

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► n-Octadecane was encapsulated by p(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and p(butyl acrylate). ► Microcapsules using divinylbenzene as crosslinking agent have better quality. ► Microcapsule with butyl methacrylate–divinylbenzene has highest latent heat. ► Microcapsule with butyl methacrylate–divinylbenzene has greatest thermal stability. ► Phase change temperatures and enthalpies of the microcapsules varied little after thermal cycle. - Abstract: Microencapsulation of n-octadecane with crosslinked p(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and p(butyl acrylate) (PBA) as shells for thermal energy storage was carried out by a suspension-like polymerization. Divinylbenzene (DVB) and pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA) were employed as crosslinking agents. The surface morphologies of the microencapsulated phase change materials (microPCMs) were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermal properties, thermal reliabilities and thermal stabilities of the as-prepared microPCMs were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The microPCMs prepared by using DVB exhibit greater heat capacities and higher thermal stabilities compared with those prepared by using PETA. The thermal resistant temperature of the microPCM with BMA–DVB polymer was up to 248 °C. The phase change temperatures and latent heats of all the as-prepared microcapsules varied little after 1000 thermal cycles.

Experimental investigation for the optimization of heat pipe performance in latent heat thermal storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ladekar, Chandrakishor; Choudhary, S. K. [RTM Nagpur University, Wardha (India); Khandare, S. S. [B. D. College of Engineering, Wardha (India)

2017-06-15

We investigated the optimum performance of heat pipe in Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES), and compared it with copper pipe. Classical plan of experimentation was used to optimize the parameters of heat pipe. Heat pipe fill ratio, evaporator section length to condenser section length ratio i.e., Heat pipe length ratio (HPLR) and heat pipe diameter, was the parameter used for optimization, as result of parametric analysis. Experiment with flow rate of 10 lit./min. was conducted for different fill ratio, HPLR and different diameter. Fill ratio of 80 %, HPLR of 0.9 and heat pipe with diameter of 18 mm showed better trend in charging and discharging. Comparison between the storage tank with optimized heat pipe and copper pipe showed almost 186 % improvement in charging and discharging time compared with the copper pipe embedded thermal storage. Heat transfer between Heat transferring fluid (HTF) and Phase change material (PCM) increased with increase in area of heat transferring media, but storage density of storage tank decreased. Storage tank with heat pipe embedded in place of copper pipe is a better option in terms of charging and discharging time as well heat storage capacity due to less heat lost. This justifies the better efficiency and effectiveness of storage tank with embedded optimized heat pipe.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Effect of Thermal Management on Storage Capacity of the Adsorbed Natural Gas Vessel

KAUST Repository

Ybyraiymkul, Doskhan; Ng, Kim Choon; Кaltayev, Aidarkhan

2017-01-01

One of the main challenges in the adsorbed natural gas (ANG) storage system is the thermal effect of adsorption, which significantly lowers storage capacity. These challenges can be solved by efficient thermal management system. In this paper

Thermal analysis of the drywell for the Nuclear Material Storage Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinke, R.G.

1997-01-01

The Nuclear Materials Storage Facility Renovation Project has a conceptual design for the facility to store nuclear materials in containers inside drywells with passive cooling for long-term storage. The CFX thermal-hydraulic computer program was used to analyze internal heat-transfer processes by conduction, convection, and radiation with natural circulation of air by hydraulic buoyancy with turbulence and thermal stratification (TS) evaluated. A vertical drywell was modeled with 14 containers on support plates at 12-in. intervals. The TS of bay air outside the drywell increased the container maximum temperature by 0.728 F for each 1.0 F of bay-air TS from the bottom to the top of the drywell. The drywell outer-surface peak heat flux was shifted downward because of the effect of bay-air TS. An equivalent model was evaluated by the nodal-network conduction, convection, and radiation heat-transfer computer program (Thermal System Analysis Program) TSAP. The TSAP results are in good agreement with the CFX-model results, with the difference in results understood based on the approximations of each model

Energy managemant through PCM based thermal storage system for building air-conditioning: Tidel Park, Chennai

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nallusamy, N.; Sampath, S.; Velraj, R.

2006-01-01

Many modern building are designed for air-conditioning and the amount of electrical energy required for providing air-conditioning can be very significant especially in the tropics. Conservation of energy is major concern to improve the overall efficiency of the system. Integration is energy storage with the conventional system gives a lot of potential for energy saving and long-term economics. Thermal energy storage systems can improve energy management and help in matching supply and demand patterns. In the present work, a detailed study has been done on the existing thermal energy storage system used in the air-conditioning system in Tidel Park, Chennai. The present study focuses on the cool energy storage system. The modes of operation and advantages of such a system for energy management are highlighted. The reason for the adoption of combined storage system and the size of the storage medium in the air-conditioning plant are analyzed. The possibility of using this concept in other cooling and heating applications, such as storage type solar water heating system, has been explored

Thermal analysis of dry concrete canister storage system for CANDU spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Yong Ho

1992-02-01

This paper presents the results of a thermal analysis of the concrete canisters for interim dry storage of spent, irradiated Canadian Deuterium Uranium(CANDU) fuel. The canisters are designed to contain 6-year-old fuel safely for periods of 50 years in stainless steel baskets sealed inside a steel-lined concrete shield. In order to assure fuel integrity during the storage, fuel rod temperature shall not exceed the temperature limit. The contents of thermal analysis include the following : 1) Steady state temperature distributions under the conservative ambient temperature and insolation load. 2) Transient temperature distributions under the changes in ambient temperature and insolation load. Accounting for the coupled heat transfer modes of conduction, convection, and radiation, the computer code HEATING5 was used to predict the thermal response of the canister storage system. As HEATING5 does not have the modeling capability to compute radiation heat transfer on a rod-to-rod basis, a separate calculating routine was developed and applied to predict temperature distribution in a fuel bundle. Thermal behavior of the canister is characterized by the large thermal mass of the concrete and radiative heat transfer within the basket. The calculated results for the worst case (steady state with maximum ambient temperature and design insolation load) indicated that the maximum temperature of the 6 year cooled fuel reached to 182.4 .deg. C, slightly above the temperature limit of 180 .deg. C. However,the thermal inertia of the thick concrete wall moderates the internal changes and prevents a rise in fuel temperature in response to ambient changes. The maximum extent of the transient zone was less than 75% of the concrete wall thickness for cyclic insolation changes. When transient nature of ambient temperature and insolation load are considered, the fuel temperature will be a function of the long term ambient temperature as opposed to daily extremes. The worst design

F2-3 using the shield for thermal energy storage in PULSAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sager, G.T.; Sze, D.K.; Wong, C.P.C.

1994-01-01

The PULSAR design study is evaluating the pulsed, inductively driven tokamak power plant to assess whether economies can be attained which-are more favorable than those of the steady-state, non-inductively driven tokamak. Considerations of market acceptance and component fatigue lead to the requirement of thermal energy storage (TES) to maintain steady-state power during the cyclic interruptions of fusion power production (open-quotes dwell phaseclose quotes). A major focus of the Study has been to identify and design technically viable TES systems for helium-cooled and liquid lithium self-cooled plants which are economically attractive, safe and environmentally benign. Several basic constraints impact the selection of the TES system. The system must be capable of discharging 2.5 GW during a dwell phase of approximately two minutes (determined by systems code analysis), thus have a capacity of at least 300 GJ. Coolant must be discharged from the TES at the static, burn phase temperature to minimize thermal stress in the steam generator. Several TES options were evaluated: Storage of heat transport working fluid, phase change media and sensible heat storage. Sensible heat storage in the outer shield was selected for PULSAR

Computational Analysis on Performance of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Diffuser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adib, M A H M; Ismail, A R; Kardigama, K; Salaam, H A; Ahmad, Z; Johari, N H; Anuar, Z; Azmi, N S N; Adnan, F

2012-01-01

Application of thermal energy storage (TES) system reduces cost and energy consumption. The performance of the overall operation is affected by diffuser design. In this study, computational analysis is used to determine the thermocline thickness. Three dimensional simulations with different tank height-to-diameter ratio (HD), diffuser opening and the effect of difference number of diffuser holes are investigated. Medium HD tanks simulations with double ring octagonal diffuser show good thermocline behavior and clear distinction between warm and cold water. The result show, the best performance of thermocline thickness during 50% time charging occur in medium tank with height-to-diameter ratio of 4.0 and double ring octagonal diffuser with 48 holes (9mm opening ∼ 60%) acceptable compared to diffuser with 6mm ∼ 40% and 12mm ∼ 80% opening. The conclusion is computational analysis method are very useful in the study on performance of thermal energy storage (TES).

IEA SHC Task 42/ECES Annex 29 – A Simple Tool for the Economic Evaluation of Thermal Energy Storages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rathgeber, Christoph; Hiebler, Stefan; Lävemann, Eberhard

2016-01-01

Within the framework of IEA SHC Task 42 / ECES Annex 29, a simple tool for the economic evaluation of thermal energy storages has been developed and tested on various existing storages. On that account, the storage capacity costs (costs per installed storage capacity) of thermal energy storages...... have been evaluated via a Top-down and a Bottom-up approach. The Top-down approach follows the assumption that the costs of energy supplied by the storage should not exceed the costs of energy from the market. The maximum acceptable storage capacity costs depend on the interest rate assigned...

Using the shield for thermal energy storage in pulsar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sager, G.T.; Sze, D.K.; Wong, C.P.C.; Bathke, C.G.; Blanchard, J.P.; Brimer, C.; Cheng, E.T.; El-Guebaly, L.A.; Hasan, M.Z.; Najmabadi, F.; Sharafat, S.; Sviatoslavski, I.N.; Waganer, L.

1995-01-01

The PULSAR pulsed tokamak power plant design utilizes the outboard shield for thermal energy storage to maintain full 1000MW(e) output during the dwell period of 200s. Thermal energy resulting from direct nuclear heating is accumulated in the shield during the 7200s fusion power production phase. The maximum shield temperature may be much higher than that for the blanket because radiation damage is significantly reduced. During the dwell period, thermal power discharged from the shield and coolant temperature are simultaneously regulated by controlling the coolant mass flow rate at the shield inlet. This is facilitated by throttled coolant bypass. Design concepts using helium and lithium coolant have been developed. Two-dimensional time-dependent thermal hydraulic calculations were performed to confirm performance capabilities required of the design concepts. The results indicate that the system design and performance can accommodate uncertainties in material limits or the length of the dwell period. (orig.)

Drug binding and mobility relating to the thermal fluctuation in fluid lipid membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Okamura, Emiko; Yoshii, Noriyuki

2008-12-01

Drug binding and mobility in fluid lipid bilayer membranes are quantified in situ by using the multinuclear solution NMR combined with the pulsed-field-gradient technique. One-dimensional and pulsed-field-gradient F19 and H1 NMR signals of an anticancer drug, 5-fluorouracil (5FU) are analyzed at 283-313 K in the presence of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) of egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) as model cell membranes. The simultaneous observation of the membrane-bound and free 5FU signals enables to quantify in what amount of 5FU is bound to the membrane and how fast 5FU is moving within the membrane in relation to the thermal fluctuation of the soft, fluid environment. It is shown that the mobility of membrane-bound 5FU is slowed down by almost two orders of magnitude and similar to the lipid movement in the membrane, the movement closely related to the intramembrane fluidity. The mobility of 5FU and EPC is, however, not similar at 313 K; the 5FU movement is enhanced in the membrane as a result of the loose binding of 5FU in the lipid matrices. The membrane-bound fraction of 5FU is ˜0.1 and almost unaltered over the temperature range examined. It is also independent of the 5FU concentration from 2 to 30 mM with respect to the 40-50 mM LUV. The free energy of the 5FU binding is estimated at -4 to -2 kJ/mol, the magnitude always close to the thermal fluctuation, 2.4-2.6 kJ/mol.

Community Energy Storage Thermal Analysis and Management: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-11-445

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Kandler A. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-01-09

The goal of this project is to create thermal solutions and models for community energy storage devices using both purpose-designed batteries and EV or PHEV batteries. Modeling will be employed to identify major factors of a device's lifetime and performance. Simultaneously, several devices will be characterized to determine their electrical and thermal performance under controlled conditions. After the factors are identified, a variety of thermal design approaches will be evaluated to improve the performance of energy storage devices. Upon completion of this project, recommendations for community energy storage device enclosures, thermal management systems, and/or battery sourcing will be made. NREL's interest is in both new and aged batteries.

High-temperature molten salt thermal energy storage systems for solar applications

Science.gov (United States)

Petri, R. J.; Claar, T. D.; Ong, E.

1983-01-01

Experimental results of compatibility screening studies of 100 salt/containment/thermal conductivity enhancement (TCE) combinations for the high temperature solar thermal application range of 704 deg to 871 C (1300 to 1600 F) are presented. Nine candidate containment/HX alloy materials and two TCE materials were tested with six candidate solar thermal alkali and alkaline earth carbonate storage salts (both reagent and technical grade of each). Compatibility tests were conducted with salt encapsulated in approx. 6.0 inch x 1 inch welded containers of test material from 300 to 3000 hours. Compatibility evaluations were end application oriented, considering the potential 30 year lifetime requirement of solar thermal power plant components. Analyses were based on depth and nature of salt side corrosion of materials, containment alloy thermal aging effects, weld integrity in salt environment, air side containment oxidation, and chemical and physical analyses of the salt. A need for more reliable, and in some cases first time determined thermophysical and transport property data was also identified for molten carbonates in the 704 to 871 C temperature range. In particular, accurate melting point (mp) measurements were performed for Li2CO3 and Na2CO3 while melting point, heat of fusion, and specific heat determinations were conducted on 81.3 weight percent Na2CO3-18.7 weight percent K2CO3 and 52.2 weight percent BaCO3-47.8 weight percent Na2CO3 to support future TES system design and ultimate scale up of solar thermal energy storage (TES) subsystems.

Preparation and thermal energy storage properties of paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhengguo; Zhang, Ni; Peng, Jing; Fang, Xiaoming; Gao, Xuenong; Fang, Yutang

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► EG was obtained by microwave irradiation to prepare the paraffin/EG composite PCM. ► Composite PCM was characterized by XRD to investigate the chemical compatibility. ► Temperature profiles of the composite PCM were obtained during thermal energy storage. -- Abstract: The paraffin/expanded graphite (EG) composite phase change material (PCM) was prepared by absorbing liquid paraffin into EG, in which paraffin was chosen as the PCM. EG was produced by microwave irradiation performed at room temperature. It was found that the EG prepared at 800 W irradiation power for 10 s exhibited the maximum sorption capacity of 92 wt% for paraffin. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that paraffin was uniformly dispersed in the pores of EG. Differential scanning calorimeter analysis indicated that the melting temperature of the composite PCM was close to that of paraffin, and its latent heat was equivalent to the calculated value based on the mass fraction of paraffin in the composite. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the composite PCM was just a combination of paraffin with EG, and no new substance was produced. Thermal energy storage performance of the composite PCM was tested in a latent thermal energy storage (LTES) system. Transients of axial and radial temperature profiles were obtained in the LTES for the composite PCM and paraffin. The thermal energy storage charging duration for the composite PCM was reduced obviously compared to paraffin.

New materials for thermal energy storage in concentrated solar power plants

Science.gov (United States)

Guerreiro, Luis; Collares-Pereira, Manuel

2016-05-01

Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) is an important alternative to PV electricity production, not only because it is getting more cost competitive with the continuous growth in installed capacity, engineering and associated innovations, but also, because of its unique dispatch ability advantage as a result of the already well established 2-tank energy storage using molten salts (MS). In recent years, research has been performed, on direct MS systems, to which features like modularity and combinations with other (solid) thermal storage materials are considered with the goal of achieving lower investment cost. Several alternative materials and systems have been studied. In this research, storage materials were identified with thermo-physical data being presented for different rocks (e.g. quartzite), super concrete, and other appropriate solid materials. Among the new materials being proposed like rocks from old quarries, an interesting option is the incorporation of solid waste material from old mines belonging to the Iberian Pyritic Belt. These are currently handled as byproducts of past mine activity, and can potentially constitute an environmental hazard due to their chemical (metal) content. This paper presents these materials, as part of a broad study to improve the current concept of solar energy storage for STE plants, and additionally presents a potentially valuable solution for environmental protection related to re-use of mining waste.

Ice Thermal Storage Systems for LWR Supplemental Cooling and Peak Power Shifting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haihua Zhao; Hongbin Zhang; Phil Sharpe; Blaise Hamanaka; Wei Yan; WoonSeong Jeong

2010-06-01

Availability of enough cooling water has been one of the major issues for the nuclear power plant site selection. Cooling water issues have frequently disrupted the normal operation at some nuclear power plants during heat waves and long draught. The issues become more severe due to the new round of nuclear power expansion and global warming. During hot summer days, cooling water leaving a power plant may become too hot to threaten aquatic life so that environmental regulations may force the plant to reduce power output or even temporarily to be shutdown. For new nuclear power plants to be built at areas without enough cooling water, dry cooling can be used to remove waste heat directly into the atmosphere. However, dry cooling will result in much lower thermal efficiency when the weather is hot. One potential solution for the above mentioned issues is to use ice thermal storage systems (ITS) that reduce cooling water requirements and boost the plant’s thermal efficiency in hot hours. ITS uses cheap off-peak electricity to make ice and uses those ice for supplemental cooling during peak demand time. ITS is suitable for supplemental cooling storage due to its very high energy storage density. ITS also provides a way to shift large amount of electricity from off peak time to peak time. Some gas turbine plants already use ITS to increase thermal efficiency during peak hours in summer. ITSs have also been widely used for building cooling to save energy cost. Among three cooling methods for LWR applications: once-through, wet cooling tower, and dry cooling tower, once-through cooling plants near a large water body like an ocean or a large lake and wet cooling plants can maintain the designed turbine backpressure (or condensation temperature) during 99% of the time; therefore, adding ITS to those plants will not generate large benefits. For once-through cooling plants near a limited water body like a river or a small lake, adding ITS can bring significant economic

Effect of amorphisation on the thermal properties of nanostructured membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Termentzidis, Konstantinos; Verdier, Maxime; Lacroix, David [CNRS, LEMTA, UMR 7563, Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France); Lorraine Univ., Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France). LEMTA UMR 7563

2017-05-01

The majority of the silicon devices contain amorphous phase and amorphous/crystalline interfaces which both considerably affect the transport of energy carriers as phonons and electrons. In this article, we investigate the impact of amorphous phases (both amorphous silicon and amorphous SiO{sub 2}) of silicon nanoporous membranes on their thermal properties via molecular dynamics simulations. We show that a small fraction of amorphous phase reduces dramatically the thermal transport. One can even create nanostructured materials with subamorphous thermal conductivity, while keeping an important crystalline fraction. In general, the a-SiO{sub 2} shell around the pores reduces the thermal conductivity by a factor of five to ten compared to a-Si shell. The phonon density of states for several systems is also given to give the impact of the amorphisation on the phonon modes.

Preparation, thermal properties and thermal reliabilities of microencapsulated n-octadecane with acrylic-based polymer shells for thermal energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiu, Xiaolin [Advanced Materials Institute and Clearer Production Key Laboratory, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing 100084 (China); Song, Guolin; Chu, Xiaodong; Li, Xuezhu [Advanced Materials Institute and Clearer Production Key Laboratory, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Tang, Guoyi, E-mail: tanggy@tsinghua.edu.cn [Advanced Materials Institute and Clearer Production Key Laboratory, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing 100084 (China)

2013-01-10

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer n-Octadecane was encapsulated by p(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and p(butyl acrylate). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microcapsules using divinylbenzene as crosslinking agent have better quality. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microcapsule with butyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene has highest latent heat. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microcapsule with butyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene has greatest thermal stability. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Phase change temperatures and enthalpies of the microcapsules varied little after thermal cycle. - Abstract: Microencapsulation of n-octadecane with crosslinked p(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and p(butyl acrylate) (PBA) as shells for thermal energy storage was carried out by a suspension-like polymerization. Divinylbenzene (DVB) and pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA) were employed as crosslinking agents. The surface morphologies of the microencapsulated phase change materials (microPCMs) were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermal properties, thermal reliabilities and thermal stabilities of the as-prepared microPCMs were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The microPCMs prepared by using DVB exhibit greater heat capacities and higher thermal stabilities compared with those prepared by using PETA. The thermal resistant temperature of the microPCM with BMA-DVB polymer was up to 248 Degree-Sign C. The phase change temperatures and latent heats of all the as-prepared microcapsules varied little after 1000 thermal cycles.

Fuel Assemblies Thermal Analysis in the New Spent Fuel Storage Facility at Inshass Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khattab, M.; Mariy, Ahmed

1999-01-01

New Wet Storage Facility (NSF) is constructed at Inshass site to solve the problem of spent fuel storage capacity of ETRR-1 reactor . The Engineering Safety Heat Transfer Features t hat characterize the new facility are presented. Thermal analysis including different scenarios of pool heat load and safety limits are discussed . Cladding temperature limit during handling and storage process are specified for safe transfer of fuel

Mechanical Reinforcement, Shapestabilization and Thermal Improvement of Phase-Change Energy Storage Materials Using Graphene Oxide Aerogel

Science.gov (United States)

Schuman, Yue Xu

Paraffin is known as a good energy storage phase change material (PCM) because of its high energy storage capacity and low cost. However, the leakage of liquid paraffin beyond its melting point and its low thermal conductivity hinder applications of paraffin in energy storage systems. Recently, nanomaterials have been used to create PCM composites in order to enhance their thermal properties while shape stabilizing the PCMs. However, fundamental studies on the material structures and mechanical behavior of the thermally enhanced PCM composites are limited especially at the nanoscale. In this study, we developed a PCM composite using graphene oxide aerogel (GOxA) as the reinforcing 3D network. The GOxA functions thermally as a heat transfer path and mechanically as a nanofiller to reinforce the PCM matrix. We characterized the morphology, the crystal and molecular structures as well as the multiscale mechanical and thermal behavior of the GOxA-PCM composite to evaluate the role of GOxA in the PCM composite. The molecular and diffraction characterizations imply that the GOxA network may affect the paraffin's crystallization, potentially forming an interfacial phase at the surfaces of GOxA. Furthermore, the mechanical properties were studied using nanoindentation at the nano/microscale and a digital durometer at the macroscale from 25degree C to 80 degree C. The mechanical characterizations show that the GOxA-PCM composite is 3 7x harder than pure paraffin and maintains significant strength even above paraffin's melting point due to the support from the GoxA. Moreover, the composite is much less strain-rate sensitive than paraffin. The reinforcement via GOxA is much beyond the prediction by the rule of mixture, implying a strong GOxA-paraffin interfacial bonding. Finally, a thermal scanning microscopy (SThM) along with AFM was used to study the thermal properties at microscale. AFM and thermal images indicate that GOxA-PCM has a better thermal conductivity. The latent

Experimental and numerical study of latent heat thermal energy storage systems assisted by heat pipes for concentrated solar power application

Science.gov (United States)

Tiari, Saeed

A desirable feature of concentrated solar power (CSP) with integrated thermal energy storage (TES) unit is to provide electricity in a dispatchable manner during cloud transient and non-daylight hours. Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) offers many advantages such as higher energy storage density, wider range of operating temperature and nearly isothermal heat transfer relative to sensible heat thermal energy storage (SHTES), which is the current standard for trough and tower CSP systems. Despite the advantages mentioned above, LHTES systems performance is often limited by low thermal conductivity of commonly used, low cost phase change materials (PCMs). Research and development of passive heat transfer devices, such as heat pipes (HPs) to enhance the heat transfer in the PCM has received considerable attention. Due to its high effective thermal conductivity, heat pipe can transport large amounts of heat with relatively small temperature difference. The objective of this research is to study the charging and discharging processes of heat pipe-assisted LHTES systems using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and experimental testing to develop a method for more efficient energy storage system design. The results revealed that the heat pipe network configurations and the quantities of heat pipes integrated in a thermal energy storage system have a profound effect on the thermal response of the system. The optimal placement of heat pipes in the system can significantly enhance the thermal performance. It was also found that the inclusion of natural convection heat transfer in the CFD simulation of the system is necessary to have a realistic prediction of a latent heat thermal storage system performance. In addition, the effects of geometrical features and quantity of fins attached to the HPs have been studied.

Thermal diffusivity measurement of erythritol and numerical analysis of heat storage performance on a fin-type heat exchanger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zamengo, Massimiliano; Funada, Tomohiro; Morikawa, Junko

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal diffusivity of Erythritol was measured by temperature wave method. • Thermal diffusivity was measured in function of temperature and during phase change. • Database of temperature-dependent thermal properties is used for numerical analysis. • Heat transfer and heat storage were analyzed in a fin-type heat exchanger. • Use of temperature-dependent properties in calculations lead to longer melting time. - Abstract: Temperature dependency of thermal diffusivity of erythritol was measured by temperature wave analysis (TWA) method. This modulating technique allowed measuring thermal diffusivity continuously, even during the phase transition solid-liquid. Together with specific heat capacity and specific enthalpy measured by differential scanning calorimetry, the values of measured properties were utilized in a bi-dimensional numerical model for analysis of heat transfer and heat storage performance. The geometry of the model is representative of a cross section of a fin-type heat exchanger, in which erythritol is filling the interspaces between fins. Time-dependent temperature change and heat storage performance were analyzed by considering the variation of thermophysical properties as a function of temperature. The numerical method can be utilized for a fast parametric analysis of heat transfer and heat storage performance into heat storage systems of phase-change materials and composites.

Recent developments on ion-exchange membranes and electro-membrane processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagarale, R K; Gohil, G S; Shahi, Vinod K

2006-02-28

Rapid growth of chemical and biotechnology in diversified areas fuels the demand for the need of reliable green technologies for the down stream processes, which include separation, purification and isolation of the molecules. Ion-exchange membrane technologies are non-hazardous in nature and being widely used not only for separation and purification but their application also extended towards energy conversion devices, storage batteries and sensors etc. Now there is a quite demand for the ion-exchange membrane with better selectivities, less electrical resistance, high chemical, mechanical and thermal stability as well as good durability. A lot of work has been done for the development of these types of ion-exchange membranes during the past twenty-five years. Herein we have reviewed the preparation of various types of ion-exchange membranes, their characterization and applications for different electro-membrane processes. Primary attention has been given to the chemical route used for the membrane preparation. Several general reactions used for the preparation of ion-exchange membranes were described. Methodologies used for the characterization of these membranes and their applications were also reviewed for the benefit of readers, so that they can get all information about the ion-exchange membranes at one platform. Although there are large number of reports available regarding preparations and applications of ion-exchange membranes more emphasis were predicted for the usefulness of these membranes or processes for solving certain type of industrial or social problems. More efforts are needed to bring many products or processes to pilot scale and extent their applications.

Thermal transfer performance of a spherical encapsulated PEG 6000-based composite for thermal energy storage

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Anghel, E.M.; Pavel, P.M.; Constantinescu, M.; Petrescu, S.; Atkinson, I.; Buixaderas, Elena

2017-01-01

Roč. 208, Sep (2017), s. 1222-1231 ISSN 0306-2619 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) AR-17-02 Program:Bilaterální spolupráce Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : phase change materials * thermal energy storage * modeling Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 7.182, year: 2016

Thermodynamic model of a thermal storage air conditioning system with dynamic behavior

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fleming, E; Wen, SY; Shi, L; da Silva, AK

2013-12-01

A thermodynamic model was developed to predict transient behavior of a thermal storage system, using phase change materials (PCMs), for a novel electric vehicle climate conditioning application. The main objectives of the paper are to consider the system's dynamic behavior, such as a dynamic air flow rate into the vehicle's cabin, and to characterize the transient heat transfer process between the thermal storage unit and the vehicle's cabin, while still maintaining accurate solution to the complex phase change heat transfer. The system studied consists of a heat transfer fluid circulating between either of the on-board hot and cold thermal storage units, which we refer to as thermal batteries, and a liquid-air heat exchanger that provides heat exchange with the incoming air to the vehicle cabin. Each thermal battery is a shell-and-tube configuration where a heat transfer fluid flows through parallel tubes, which are surrounded by PCM within a larger shell. The system model incorporates computationally inexpensive semianalytic solution to the conjugated laminar forced convection and phase change problem within the battery and accounts for airside heat exchange using the Number of Transfer Units (NTUs) method for the liquid-air heat exchanger. Using this approach, we are able to obtain an accurate solution to the complex heat transfer problem within the battery while also incorporating the impact of the airside heat transfer on the overall system performance. The implemented model was benchmarked against a numerical study for a melting process and against full system experimental data for solidification using paraffin wax as the PCM. Through modeling, we demonstrate the importance of capturing the airside heat exchange impact on system performance, and we investigate system response to dynamic operating conditions, e.g., air recirculation. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of thermophysical properties of phase change materials for non-membrane based indirect solar desalination application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarwar, J.; Mansoor, B.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal cycling of paraffin waxes phase change materials. • Differential Scanning Calorimetry and thermogravimetric study of the materials. • Characterization of the phase change materials via Temperature History Method. • Investigation of suitability of materials for indirect solar desalination system. • Paraffin waxes are suitable for non-membrane indirect solar desalination system. - Abstract: Phase change material as a thermal energy storage medium has been widely incorporated in various technologies like solar air/water heating, buildings, and desalination for efficient use and management of fluctuating solar energy. Temperature and thermal energy requirements dictate the selection of an appropriate phase change material for its application in various engineering systems. In this work, two phase change materials belonging to organic paraffin wax class have been characterized to obtain their thermophysical properties. The melting/solidification temperatures, latent heat of fusion and heat capacities of the phase change materials have been investigated using Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetric analysis and Temperature History Method. Thermal cycles up to 300 are performed to investigate melting and solidification reversibility as well as degradation over time. It is shown that the selected paraffin waxes have reversible phase change with no degradation of thermophysical properties over time. It is also shown that melting/solidification temperature and thermal energy storage capabilities make them suitable for their application as a thermal energy storage medium, in high temperature vapour compression, multi-stage flash and multi-effect distillation processes of non-membrane based indirect desalination systems.

Numerical study of finned heat pipe-assisted thermal energy storage system with high temperature phase change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiari, Saeed; Qiu, Songgang; Mahdavi, Mahboobe

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A finned heat pipe-assisted latent heat thermal energy storage system is studied. • The effects of heat pipes spacing and fins geometrical features are investigated. • Smaller heat pipes spacing and longer fins improve the melting rate. • The optimal heat pipe and fin arrangements are determined. - Abstract: In the present study, the thermal characteristics of a finned heat pipe-assisted latent heat thermal energy storage system are investigated numerically. A transient two-dimensional finite volume based model employing enthalpy-porosity technique is implemented to analyze the performance of a thermal energy storage unit with square container and high melting temperature phase change material. The effects of heat pipe spacing, fin length and numbers and the influence of natural convection on the thermal response of the thermal energy storage unit have been studied. The obtained results reveal that the natural convection has considerable effect on the melting process of the phase change material. Increasing the number of heat pipes (decreasing the heat pipe spacing) leads to the increase of melting rate and the decrease of base wall temperature. Also, the increase of fin length results in the decrease of temperature difference within the phase change material in the container, providing more uniform temperature distribution. It was also shown that number of the fins does not have a significant effect on the performance of the system

Effect of multiple phase change materials (PCMs) slab configurations on thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaikh, Shadab; Lafdi, Khalid

2006-01-01

The present work involves the use of a two dimensional control volume based numerical method to conduct a study of a combined convection-diffusion phase change heat transfer process in varied configurations of composite PCM slabs. Simulations were conducted to investigate the impact of using different configurations of multiple PCM slabs arrangements with different melting temperatures, thermophysical properties and varied sets of boundary conditions on the total energy stored as compared to using a single PCM slab. The degree of enhancement of the energy storage has been shown in terms of the total energy stored rate. The numerical results from the parametric study indicated that the total energy charged rate can be significantly enhanced by using composite PCMs as compared to the single PCM. This enhancement in the energy storage can be of great importance to improve the thermal performance of latent thermal storage systems

Advanced materials for solid state hydrogen storage: “Thermal engineering issues”

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivasa Murthy, S.; Anil Kumar, E.

2014-01-01

Hydrogen has been widely recognized as the “Energy Carrier” of the future. Efficient, reliable, economical and safe storage and delivery of hydrogen form important aspects in achieving success of the “Hydrogen Economy”. Gravimetric and volumetric storage capacities become important when one considers portable and mobile applications of hydrogen. In the case of solid state hydrogen storage, the gas is reversibly embedded (by physisorption and/or chemisorption) in a solid matrix. A wide variety of materials such as intermetallics, physisorbents, complex hydrides/alanates, metal organic frameworks, etc. have been investigated as possible storage media. This paper discusses the feasibility of lithium– and sodium–aluminum hydrides with emphasis on their thermodynamic and thermo-physical properties. Drawbacks such as poor heat transfer characteristics and poor kinetics demand special attention to the thermal design of solid state storage devices. - Highlights: • Advanced materials suitable for solid state hydrogen storage are discussed. • Issues related to thermodynamic and thermo-physical properties of hydriding materials are brought out. • Hydriding and dehydriding behavior including sorption kinetics of complex hydrides with emphasis on alanates are explained

More with thermal energy storage. Report 2. Literature survey. Overview of knowledge and research questions with regard to thermal energy storage. Final report; Meer met bodemenergie. Rapport 2. Literatuuronderzoek. Overzicht van kennis en onderzoeksvragen rondom bodemenergie. Eindrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lieten, S.; De Vries, E. [Bioclear, Groningen (Netherlands); Van Baaren, E.; Bakr, M.; Oude Essink, G.; Hartog, N.; Meinderstma, W.; Van Nieuwkerk, E.; Van Oostrom, N.; Woning, M. [Deltares, Delft (Netherlands); Drijver, B.; Krajenbrink, H.; Mathijssen, H.; Wennekes, R. [IF Technology, Arnhem (Netherlands)

2012-03-30

The project More With Thermal Energy Storage (MMB, abbreviated in Dutch) focuses on knowledge gaps and potential opportunities regarding open systems. The main questions to be answered are: (1) What effects (hydrological, thermal, microbiological and chemical) occur in the soil system by application of thermal energy storage; (2) Which technical options are available for a sustainable integration of thermal energy storage in the water and energy chain?; (3) Is it possible to achieve multiple objectives by using smart combinations? The project is organized in different work packages. In work package 2, the effects of individual and collective thermal energy storage storage systems on subsoils and the environment are determined. In work package 3 the opportunities for thermal energy storage and soil remediation are examined, while in work package 4 the focus is on new sustainable combinations of heat and cold storage. Work package 1 is the umbrella part where communication and policy of and participation in MMB are the main subjects. The aim of this literature survey is to search for knowledge that is available worldwide on the effects of heat and cold storage and the possibilities to combine this technology with controlling contaminants in soil and groundwater [Dutch] Het project Meer Met Bodemenergie (MMB) richt zich op het invullen van kennisleemtes en mogelijke kansen ten aanzien van open systemen. De belangrijkste vragen waarop het onderzoeksprogramma MMB antwoord geeft zijn: (1) Welke effecten (hydrologisch, thermisch, microbiologisch en chemisch) treden op in het bodemsysteem bij toepassing van bodemenergie?; (2) Welke technische mogelijkheden zijn er voor het duurzaam inpassen van bodem-energie in de water- en energieketen?; (3) Is het mogelijk om meerdere doelstellingen tegelijk te verwezenlijken door slimme combinaties te maken? Het project is ingericht met verschillende werkpakketten. In werkpakket 2 worden de effecten van individuele en collectieve

Solar cookers with and without thermal storage - A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muthusivagami, R.M.; Velraj, R.; Sethumadhavan, R.

2010-01-01

The continuous increase in the level of green house gas emissions and the increase in fuel prices are the main driving forces behind efforts to more effectively utilize various sources of renewable energy. In many parts of the world, direct solar radiation is considered to be one of the most prospective sources of energy. Among the different energy end uses, energy for cooking is one of the basic and dominant end uses in developing countries. Energy requirement for cooking accounts for 36% of total primary energy consumption in India. Hence, there is a critical need for the development of alternative, appropriate, affordable mode of cooking for use in developing countries. However, the large scale utilization of this form of energy is possible only if the effective technology for its storage can be developed with acceptable capital and running costs. Thermal energy storage is essential whenever there is a mismatch between the supply and consumption of energy. Latent heat storage in a phase change material is very attractive because of its high storage density with small temperature swing. The choice of PCM plays an important role in addition to heat transfer mechanism in the PCM. In this present work a review has been made to study all the research and development work carried out in the field of solar cooker in particular the storage type solar cookers. A novel concept of PCM-based storage type solar cooker is also presented which is under experimental investigation. (author)

Preparation of shape-stabilized co-crystallized poly (ethylene glycol) composites as thermal energy storage materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian, Yong; Wei, Ping; Jiang, Pingkai; Li, Zhi; Yan, Yonggang; Ji, Kejian; Deng, Weihua

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Shape-stabilized PEG composites were prepared by sol–gel process. • The increased energy storage ability of composite was from cocrystallization effect. • Diammonium phosphate improved flame retardancy properties of PEG composite. • PEG composites had potential to be used as thermal energy storage materials. - Abstract: Shape-stabilized co-crystallized poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) composites were prepared by sol–gel process. Tetraethoxysilane was utilized as supporting matrix precursor. The crystallization property as well as thermal energy storage properties of PEG was influenced by silica network. The combination of PEG 2k and PEG 10k with suitable ratio (3:1 by weight) led to synergistically increased fusion enthalpy attributed to cocrystallization effect. Furthermore, halogen-free flame retarded PEG composites were obtained using diammonium phosphate as flame retardant. With suitable composition, the latent heat value of flame retarded PEG composite was 96.7 kJ/kg accompanied with good thermal stability and improved flame retardancy properties. Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), polarized optical microscope (POM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterize the structure of PEG composites. Thermal stability properties of PEG composites were investigated by thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Char residue obtained from muffle furnace of PEG composites was analyzed by SEM and FT-IR. Flame retardancy properties of PEG composites were estimated by pyrolysis combustion flow calorimeter. Results showed that it was potential for shape-stabilized halogen-free flame retarded PEG composite to be applied in thermal energy storage field

Experimental analysis of a low cost phase change material emulsion for its use as thermal storage system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delgado, Mónica; Lázaro, Ana; Mazo, Javier; Peñalosa, Conchita; Dolado, Pablo; Zalba, Belén

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A low cost PCM emulsion has been analyzed as thermal energy storage system. • Its thermophysical and rheological properties have been determined. • The system shows advantages in terms of energy density and heat transfer rate. • The PCM emulsion system has been compared to other thermal energy storage systems. - Abstract: A 46 l commercial tank with a helical coil heat exchanger and containing a low cost phase change material emulsion has been experimentally analyzed as a thermal energy storage system in terms of volumetric energy density and heat transfer rate, for its subsequent comparison with other thermal energy storage systems. This phase change material emulsion shows a phase change temperature range between 30 and 50 °C, its solids content is about 60% with an average particle size of 1 μm. The low cost phase change material emulsion shows a thermal storage capacity by mass 50% higher than water and an increase in viscosity up to 2–5 orders of magnitude. The results have shown that the global heat transfer coefficient of the phase change material emulsion tank is around 2–6 times higher than for conventional latent systems previously analyzed in literature, although 5 times lower than if it contains water. The phase change material emulsion tank presents an energy density 34% higher than the water tank, which makes it a promising solution. Measures to improve its performance are also studied in this work.

Thermal properties of a novel nanoencapsulated phase change material for thermal energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuensanta, Mónica, E-mail: monica.fuensanta@aidico.es [AIDICO, Technological Institute of Construction, Camí de Castella, 4, 03660 Novelda, Alicante (Spain); Paiphansiri, Umaporn [Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz (Germany); Romero-Sánchez, María Dolores, E-mail: md.romero@aidico.es [AIDICO, Technological Institute of Construction, Camí de Castella, 4, 03660 Novelda, Alicante (Spain); Guillem, Celia; López-Buendía, Ángel M. [AIDICO, Technological Institute of Construction, Camí de Castella, 4, 03660 Novelda, Alicante (Spain); Landfester, Katharina [Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz (Germany)

2013-08-10

Highlights: • A paraffin wax RT80 was encapsulated in styrene–butyl acrylate copolymer as polymer shell using miniemulsion polymerization process to obtain a novel nanoencapsulated PCM with 80 °C melting temperature. • Nano-PCMs have high compact structure, spherical morphology and thermal stability. • The nano-PCMs have potential applications as thermal energy storage materials. - Abstract: A novel nanoencapsulation of a paraffine type phase change material, RT80, in a styrene–butyl acrylate copolymer shell using the miniemulsion polymerization process was carried out. General characteristics of the RT80 nanoparticles in terms of thermal properties, morphology, chemical composition and particle size distribution were characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The influence of different monomers (styrene, butyl acrylate) and the surfactant/paraffin mass ratios on nanoparticles properties such as thermal capacity, particle size and morphology were systematically investigated. In all cases studied, encapsulation efficiency was close to 80 wt% with a particle size distribution between 52 and 112 nm and regular spherical shape and uniform structure. The amount of encapsulated paraffin achieved was comprised between 8 and 20%. Melting and crystallization heats were found to be approximately 5–25 J g{sup −1}, mainly depending on surfactant/paraffin mass ratio. Melting temperature of RT80 nanoparticles slightly decreased (1–7 °C) respect to the raw RT80. In addition, the encapsulated RT80 nanoparticles show thermal stability even after 200 thermal (heat-cooling) cycles.

Thermal properties of a novel nanoencapsulated phase change material for thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuensanta, Mónica; Paiphansiri, Umaporn; Romero-Sánchez, María Dolores; Guillem, Celia; López-Buendía, Ángel M.; Landfester, Katharina

2013-01-01

Highlights: • A paraffin wax RT80 was encapsulated in styrene–butyl acrylate copolymer as polymer shell using miniemulsion polymerization process to obtain a novel nanoencapsulated PCM with 80 °C melting temperature. • Nano-PCMs have high compact structure, spherical morphology and thermal stability. • The nano-PCMs have potential applications as thermal energy storage materials. - Abstract: A novel nanoencapsulation of a paraffine type phase change material, RT80, in a styrene–butyl acrylate copolymer shell using the miniemulsion polymerization process was carried out. General characteristics of the RT80 nanoparticles in terms of thermal properties, morphology, chemical composition and particle size distribution were characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The influence of different monomers (styrene, butyl acrylate) and the surfactant/paraffin mass ratios on nanoparticles properties such as thermal capacity, particle size and morphology were systematically investigated. In all cases studied, encapsulation efficiency was close to 80 wt% with a particle size distribution between 52 and 112 nm and regular spherical shape and uniform structure. The amount of encapsulated paraffin achieved was comprised between 8 and 20%. Melting and crystallization heats were found to be approximately 5–25 J g −1 , mainly depending on surfactant/paraffin mass ratio. Melting temperature of RT80 nanoparticles slightly decreased (1–7 °C) respect to the raw RT80. In addition, the encapsulated RT80 nanoparticles show thermal stability even after 200 thermal (heat-cooling) cycles

Fatty acid esters-based composite phase change materials for thermal energy storage in buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarı, Ahmet; Karaipekli, Ali

2012-01-01

In this study, fatty acid esters-based composite phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy storage were prepared by blending erythritol tetrapalmitate (ETP) and erythritol tetrastearate (ETS) with diatomite and expanded perlite (EP). The maximum incorporation percentage for ETP and ETS into diatomite and EP was found to be 57 wt% and 62 wt%, respectively without melted PCM seepage from the composites. The morphologies and compatibilities of the composite PCMs were structurally characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transformation infrared (FT–IR) analysis techniques. Thermal energy storage properties of the composite PCMs were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The DSC analyses results indicated that the composite PCMs were good candidates for building applications in terms of their large latent heat values and suitable phase change temperatures. The thermal cycling test including 1000 melting and freezing cycling showed that composite PCMs had good thermal reliability and chemical stability. TG analysis revealed that the composite PCMs had good thermal durability above their working temperature ranges. Moreover, in order to improve the thermal conductivity of the composite PCMs, the expanded graphite (EG) was added to them at different mass fractions (2%, 5%, and 10%). The best results were obtained for the composite PCMs including 5wt% EG content in terms of the increase in thermal conductivity values and the decrease amount in latent heat capacity. The improvement in thermal conductivity values of ETP/Diatomite, ETS/Diatomite, ETP/EP and ETS/EP were found to be about 68%, 57%, 73% and 75%, respectively. Highlights: ► Fatty acid esters-based composite PCMs were prepared by blending ETP and ETS with diatomite and expanded perlite. ► The composite PCMs were characterized by using SEM, FT–IR, DSC and TG analysis methods. ► The DSC results indicated that the composites PCMs had good thermal

Heat exchange studies on coconut oil cells as thermal energy storage for room thermal conditioning

Science.gov (United States)

Sutjahja, I. M.; Putri, Widya A.; Fahmi, Z.; Wonorahardjo, S.; Kurnia, D.

2017-07-01

As reported by many thermal environment experts, room air conditioning might be controlled by thermal mass system. In this paper we discuss the performance of coconut oil cells as room thermal energy storage. The heat exchange mechanism of coconut oil (CO) which is one of potential organic Phase Change Material (PCM) is studied based on the results of temperature measurements in the perimeter and core parts of cells. We found that the heat exchange performance, i.e. heat absorption and heat release processes of CO cells are dominated by heat conduction in the sensible solid from the higher temperature perimeter part to the lower temperature core part and heat convection during the solid-liquid phase transition and sensible liquid phase. The capability of heat absorption as measured by the reduction of air temperature is not influenced by CO cell size. Besides that, the application of CO as the thermal mass has to be accompanied by air circulation to get the cool sensation of the room’s occupants.

An integrated heat pipe-thermal storage design for a solar receiver

Science.gov (United States)

Keddy, E.; Sena, J. T.; Woloshun, K.; Merrigan, M. A.; Heidenreich, G.

Light-weight heat pipe wall elements that incorporate a thermal storage subassembly within the vapor space are being developed as part of the Organic Rankine Cycle Solar Dynamic Power System (ORC-SDPS) receiver for the Space Station application. The operating temperature of the heat pipe elements is in the 770 to 810 K range with a design power throughput of 4.8 kW per pipe. The total heat pipe length is 1.9 M. The Rankine cycle boiler heat transfer surfaces are positioned within the heat pipe vapor space, providing a relatively constant temperature input to the vaporizer. The heat pipe design employs axial arteries and distribution wicked thermal storage units with potassium as the working fluid. Performance predictions for this configuration have been conducted and the design characterized as a function of artery geometry, distribution wick thickness, porosity, pore size, and permeability.

Form-stable paraffin/high density polyethylene composites as solid-liquid phase change material for thermal energy storage: preparation and thermal properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sari, Ahmet

2004-01-01

This paper deals with the preparation of paraffin/high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites as form-stable, solid-liquid phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage and with determination of their thermal properties. In such a composite, the paraffin (P) serves as a latent heat storage material and the HDPE acts as a supporting material, which prevents leakage of the melted paraffin because of providing structural strength. Therefore, it is named form-stable composite PCM. In this study, two kinds of paraffins with melting temperatures of 42-44 deg. C (type P1) and 56-58 deg. C (type P2) and latent heats of 192.8 and 212.4 J g -1 were used. The maximum weight percentage for both paraffin types in the PCM composites without any seepage of the paraffin in the melted state were found as high as 77%. It is observed that the paraffin is dispersed into the network of the solid HDPE by investigation of the structure of the composite PCMs using a scanning electronic microscope (SEM). The melting temperatures and latent heats of the form-stable P1/HDPE and P2/HDPE composite PCMs were determined as 37.8 and 55.7 deg. C, and 147.6 and 162.2 J g -1 , respectively, by the technique of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Furthermore, to improve the thermal conductivity of the form-stable P/HDPE composite PCMs, expanded and exfoliated graphite (EG) by heat treatment was added to the samples in the ratio of 3 wt.%. Thereby, the thermal conductivity was increased about 14% for the form-stable P1/HDPE and about 24% for the P2/HDPE composite PCMs. Based on the results, it is concluded that the prepared form-stable P/HDPE blends as composite type PCM have great potential for thermal energy storage applications in terms of their satisfactory thermal properties and improved thermal conductivity. Furthermore, these composite PCMs added with EG can be considered cost effective latent heat storage materials since they do not require encapsulation and extra cost to enhance

Thermal Mode of Tanks for Storage Fuel of Thermal Power Plants and Boiler with the Influence of Engineering Facilities in the Area of their Placement

Science.gov (United States)

Polovnikov, V. Yu.; Makhsutbek, F. T.; Ozhikenova, Zh. F.

2016-02-01

This paper describes the numerical modeling of heat transfer in the area placing of the tank for storage fuel of thermal power plant and boiler with the influence of engineering construction. We have established that the presence of engineering structures in the area of placing of the tank for storage fuel of thermal power plant and boiler have little effect on the change of heat loss.

Influence of some DNA-alkylating drugs on thermal stability, acid and osmotic resistance of the membrane of whole human erythrocytes and their ghosts.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanov, I T; Gadjeva, V

2000-09-01

Human erythrocytes and their resealed ghosts were alkylated under identical conditions using three groups of alkylating antitumor agents: mustards, triazenes and chloroethyl nitrosoureas. Osmotic fragility, acid resistance and thermal stability of membranes were changed only in alkylated ghosts in proportion to the concentration of the alkylating agent. All the alkylating agents decreased acid resistance in ghosts. The clinically used drugs sarcolysine, dacarbazine and lomustine all decreased osmotic fragility and thermal stability of ghost membranes depending on their lipophilicity. DM-COOH did not decrease osmotic fragility and thermal stability of ghost membranes, while NEM increased thermal stability of membranes. The preliminary but not subsequent treatment of ghosts with DM-COOH fully abolished the alkylation-induced thermal labilization of ghost membrane proteins while NEM had a partial effect only. The present study gives direct evidence that alkylating agents, having a high therapeutic activity against malignant growth, bind covalently to proteins of cellular membranes.

Numerical study for enhancing the thermal conductivity of phase change material (PCM) storage using high thermal conductivity porous matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesalhy, Osama; Lafdi, Khalid; Elgafy, Ahmed; Bowman, Keith

2005-01-01

In this paper, the melting process inside an irregular geometry filled with high thermal conductivity porous matrix saturated with phase change material PCM is investigated numerically. The numerical model is resting on solving the volume averaged conservation equations for mass, momentum and energy with phase change (melting) in the porous medium. The convection motion of the liquid phase inside the porous matrix is solved considering the Darcy, Brinkman and Forchiemer effects. A local thermal non-equilibrium assumption is considered due to the large difference in thermal properties between the solid matrix and PCM by applying a two energy equation model. The numerical code shows good agreement for pure PCM melting with another published numerical work. Through this study it is found that the presence of the porous matrix has a great effect on the heat transfer and melting rate of the PCM energy storage. Decreasing the porosity of the matrix increases the melting rate, but it also damps the convection motion. It is also found that the best technique to enhance the response of the PCM storage is to use a solid matrix with high porosity and high thermal conductivity

Thermally responsive polymer electrolytes for inherently safe electrochemical energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Jesse C.

Electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs), supercapacitors and Li-ion batteries have emerged as premier candidates to meet the rising demands in energy storage; however, such systems are limited by thermal hazards, thermal runaway, fires and explosions, all of which become increasingly more dangerous in large-format devices. To prevent such scenarios, thermally-responsive polymer electrolytes (RPEs) that alter properties in electrochemical energy storage devices were designed and tested. These RPEs will be used to limit or halt device operation when temperatures increase beyond a predetermined threshold, therefore limiting further heating. The development of these responsive systems will offer an inherent safety mechanism in electrochemical energy storage devices, while preserving the performance, lifetimes, and versatility that large-format systems require. Initial work focused on the development of a model system that demonstrated the concept of RPEs in an electrochemical device. Aqueous electrolyte solutions of polymers exhibiting properties that change in response to temperature were developed for applications in EDLCs and supercapacitors. These "smart materials" provide a means to control electrochemical systems where polymer phase separation at high temperatures affects electrolyte properties and inhibits device performance. Aqueous RPEs were synthesized using N-isopropylacrylamide, which governs the thermal properties, and fractions of acrylic acid or vinyl sulfonic acids, which provide ions to the solution. The molecular properties of these aqueous RPEs, specifically the ionic composition, were shown to influence the temperature-dependent electrolyte properties and the extent to which these electrolytes control the energy storage characteristics of a supercapacitor device. Materials with high ionic content provided the highest room temperature conductivity and electrochemical activity; however, RPEs with low ionic content provided the highest "on

Benefits of production extension and shifting with thermal storage for a 1MW CSP-ORC plant in Morocco

Science.gov (United States)

Bennouna, El Ghali; Mimet, Abdelaziz; Frej, Hicham

2016-05-01

The importance of thermal storage for commercial CSP (concentrated Solar Power) plants has now become obvious, this regardless of the solar technology used and the power cycle. The availability of a storage system to a plant operator brings a lot of possibilities for production management, cash flow optimization and grid stabilizing. In particular, and depending on plant location and local grid strategy, thermal storage can contribute, when wisely used, to control production and adapt it to the demand and / or power unbalances and varying prices. Storage systems design, sizing and configuration are proper to each power plant, hence systems that are now widely installed within large commercial solar plants are not necessarily suited for small scale decentralized production, and will not have the same effects. In this paper the benefits of thermal storage are studied for a 1MWe CSP plant with an ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle), this plant has many specific features which call for a detail analysis about the appropriate storage design and optimum operating strategies for decentralized solutions.

Molten Salt-Carbon Nanotube Thermal Energy Storage for Concentrating Solar Power Systems Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael Schuller; Frank Little; Darren Malik; Matt Betts; Qian Shao; Jun Luo; Wan Zhong; Sandhya Shankar; Ashwin Padmanaban

2012-03-30

We demonstrated that adding nanoparticles to a molten salt would increase its utility as a thermal energy storage medium for a concentrating solar power system. Specifically, we demonstrated that we could increase the specific heat of nitrate and carbonate salts containing 1% or less of alumina nanoparticles. We fabricated the composite materials using both evaporative and air drying methods. We tested several thermophysical properties of the composite materials, including the specific heat, thermal conductivity, latent heat, and melting point. We also assessed the stability of the composite material with repeated thermal cycling and the effects of adding the nanoparticles on the corrosion of stainless steel by the composite salt. Our results indicate that stable, repeatable 25-50% improvements in specific heat are possible for these materials. We found that using these composite salts as the thermal energy storage material for a concentrating solar thermal power system can reduce the levelized cost of electricity by 10-20%. We conclude that these materials are worth further development and inclusion in future concentrating solar power systems.

Thermal and Performance Analysis of a Photovoltaic Module with an Integrated Energy Storage System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manel Hammami

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper is proposing and analyzing an electric energy storage system fully integrated with a photovoltaic PV module, composed by a set of lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4 flat batteries, which constitutes a generation-storage PV unit. The batteries were surface-mounted on the back side of the PV module, distant from the PV backsheet, without exceeding the PV frame size. An additional low-emissivity sheet was introduced to shield the batteries from the backsheet thermal irradiance. The challenge addressed in this paper is to evaluate the PV cell temperature increase, due to the reduced thermal exchanges on the back of the module, and to estimate the temperature of the batteries, verifying their thermal constraints. Two one-dimensional (1D thermal models, numerically implemented by using the thermal library of Simulink-Matlab accounting for all the heat exchanges, are here proposed: one related to the original PV module, the other related to the portion of the area of the PV module in correspondence of the proposed energy-storage system. Convective and radiative coefficients were then calculated in relation to different configurations and ambient conditions. The model validation has been carried out considering the PV module to be at the nominal operating cell temperature (NOCT, and by specific experimental measurements with a thermographic camera. Finally, appropriate models were used to evaluate the increasing cell batteries temperature in different environmental conditions.

Heat transfer enhancement in triplex-tube latent thermal energy storage system with selected arrangements of fins

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Liang; Xing, Yuming; Liu, Xin; Rui, Zhoufeng

2018-01-01

The use of thermal energy storage systems can effectively reduce energy consumption and improve the system performance. One of the promising ways for thermal energy storage system is application of phase change materials (PCMs). In this study, a two-dimensional numerical model is presented to investigate the heat transfer enhancement during the melting/solidification process in a triplex tube heat exchanger (TTHX) by using fluent software. The thermal conduction and natural convection are all taken into account in the simulation of the melting/solidification process. As the volume fraction of fin is kept to be a constant, the influence of proposed fin arrangement on temporal profile of liquid fraction over the melting process is studied and reported. By rotating the unit with different angle, the simulation shows that the melting time varies a little, which means that the installation error can be reduced by the selected fin arrangement. The proposed fin arrangement also can effectively reduce time of the solidification of the PCM by investigating the solidification process. To summarize, this work presents a shape optimization for the improvement of the thermal energy storage system by considering both thermal energy charging and discharging process.

Gold nanoparticle-based thermal history indicator for monitoring low-temperature storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yi-Cheng; Lu, Lin; Gunasekaran, Sundaram

2015-01-01

We describe a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based thermal history indicator (THI) for monitoring low-temperature storage. The THI was prepared from tetrachloroaurate using gelatin as a reducing reagent. Gelatin also acts as a stabilizer to control the growth of the AuNPs. The size and shape of the AuNPs were characterized by UV–vis spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy and are initially found to be spherical with an average particle size of ∼19 nm. Initially, the color of the THIs is slightly pink, but after a 90-day storage in the freezer, as both the size and shape of the AuNPs change, the color of the THIs turns to red. After 90 days the absorbance peaks of THIs held at room temperature are red-shifted from 538 to 572 nm and possessed larger amplitude compared to those stored in the freezer. The color change is a function of both storage time and temperature. The observed increase in size is mainly due to storage temperature while the change in shape is mainly due to storage time. The THIs experiencing higher temperature treatments exhibit a more intense color change which is attributed to a localized surface plasmon resonance effect. Thus, the observed visual color changes can provide information regarding the thermal history the material has experienced. Accordingly, when used in conjunction with time-temperature sensitive products, the THI may serve as a proactive system for monitoring and controlling product quality and/or safety. For example, the THI is useful in safeguarding high-value biological products such as enzymes, antibodies, plasma, stem cells and other perishables that have to be stored at low temperatures. (author)

Transient characteristics of thermal energy storage in an enclosure packed with MEPCM particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siao, Yong-Hao; Yan, Wei-Mon; Lai, Chi-Ming

2015-01-01

The heat transfer characteristics of phase change materials have been of continuing interest of research due to various potential technical applications, such as the latent-heat thermal energy storage, thermal protection, as well as active/passive electronic cooling. In this work, the transient characteristics of thermal energy storage in a partitioned enclosure filled with microencapsulated phase change material (MEPCM) particles were investigated experimentally and numerically. To examine the different melting temperature effects, two different MEPCM particles are tested. The core phase change materials of the MEPCM are n-octadecane with melting temperature about T M  = 28 °C and 37 °C. The enclosure is partitioned and is differentially heated by the two horizontal isothermal surfaces, while the other vertical surfaces are considered thermally insulated. The studies have been undertaken for five sets of the hot and cold wall temperatures imposed across the enclosure. The consequents show that the numerical results are in agreement with the measured data. At the initial transient, the net energy storage in enclosure, Q net , increases with the time Fo. Finally, the Q net approaches quickly the steady state for the case with a higher temperature difference of T h  − T c . Additionally, higher dimensionless accumulated energy through the hot wall Q h and cold wall Q c is found for a case with higher hot wall temperature T h

Thermal energy storage in rock chambers - a complement to nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margen, P.H.

1971-01-01

Within about a decade from now, the nuclear capacity on several generation systems will have become larger than the night load, thus increasing the incentive to exploit cheap night energy for daily storage schemes. In Sweden, energy storage schemes using rock cavities have been studied for a number of years. These include pumped storage schemes with lower magazines well below ground surface and gas turbine schemes with compressed air magazines. Recently preliminary studies have been made of a third form - that of storing hot high pressure water in rock cavities with a simple thermal insulation. One method of utilizing this water is as feed water for a nuclear power station, the water in the store being heated from about 73 ° C to 21 7°C at night, and the stored hot water being fed directly to the Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) during the day. An increase in turbine output by about 25% can then be achieved at peak periods due to the elimination of the h.p. steam bleeding for unchanged reactor power. About 35 kWh of electricity can be recovered per m 3 of storage volume, i.e. 30 times as much as if one m 3 of cold water had been allowed to descend 450 m under gravity to the lower magazine of a pumped storage plant. This illustrates how much more effective hot water storage utilizes the space of a rock cavity than does cold water storage for a pumped storage plant even at very great depths. The paper describes the circuit proposed and the design of the accumulator to meet the requirements concerning thermal insulation (to avoid exposing the rock walls to daily temperature cycles), avoidance of risk of leakage of slightly active feed water to the surrounding ground water even under severe accident conditions such as pipe and tank ruptures, and water chemistry to avoid water containing impurities or dissolved gases from reaching the feed water circuit. A preliminary cost analysis is given which shows that the proposal allows the generation of additional blocks of

Thermal energy storage characteristics of bentonite-based composite PCMs with enhanced thermal conductivity as novel thermal storage building materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarı, Ahmet

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: In this work, novel bentonite-based and form-stable composite phase change materials (Bb-FSPCMs) were produced for LHTES in buildings by impregnation of CA, PEG600, DD and HD with bentonite clay. The microstructures of the compatibility of the Bb-FSPCMs were by using SEM and FT-IR techniques. The DSC results indicated that the produced Bb-FSPCMs composites had suitable phase change temperature of 4–30 °C and good latent heat capacity between 38 and 74 J/g. The TG results demonstrated that all of the fabricated Bb-FSPCMs had good thermal resistance. The Bb-FSPCMs maintained their LHTES properties even after 1000 heating–cooling cycling. The total heating times of the prepared Bb-FSPCMs were reduced noticeably due to their enhanced thermal conductivity after EG (5 wt%) addition. - Highlights: • Bb-FSPCMs were produced by impregnation of CA, PEG600, DD and HD with bentonite. • DSC analysis indicated that Bb-FSPCMs had melting temperature in range of 4–30 °C. • DSC analysis also showed that Bb-FSPCMs had latent heat between 38 and 74 J/g. • The TG analysis demonstrated that Bb-FSPCMs had good thermal resistance. • Thermal conductivity of Bb-FSPCMs were enhanced noticeably with EG (5 wt%) addition. - Abstract: In this work, for latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) applications in buildings, bentonite-based form-stable composite phase change materials (Bb-FSPCMs) were produced by impregnation of capric acid (CA), polyethylene glycol (PEG600), dodecanol (DD) and heptadecane (HD) into bentonite clay. The morphological characterization results obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the bentonite acted as good structural barrier for the organic PCMs homogenously dispersed onto its surface and interlayers. The chemical investigations made by using fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) technique revealed that the attractions between the components of the composites was physical in nature and thus the PCMs were hold

Solar dryer with thermal storage and biomass-backup heater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madhlopa, A. [Department of Physics and Biochemical Sciences, Malawi Polytechnic, P/Bag 303, Blantyre 3 (Malawi); Ngwalo, G. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Malawi Polytechnic, P/Bag 303, Blantyre 3 (Malawi)

2007-04-15

An indirect type natural convection solar dryer with integrated collector-storage solar and biomass-backup heaters has been designed, constructed and evaluated. The major components of the dryer are biomass burner (with a rectangular duct and flue gas chimney), collector-storage thermal mass and drying chamber (with a conventional solar chimney). The thermal mass was placed in the top part of the biomass burner enclosure. The dryer was fabricated using simple materials, tools and skills, and it was tested in three modes of operation (solar, biomass and solar-biomass) by drying twelve batches of fresh pineapple (Ananas comosus), with each batch weighing about 20 kg. Meteorological conditions were monitored during the dehydration process. Moisture and vitamin C contents were determined in both fresh and dried samples. Results show that the thermal mass was capable of storing part of the absorbed solar energy and heat from the burner. It was possible to dry a batch of pineapples using solar energy only on clear days. Drying proceeded successfully even under unfavorable weather conditions in the solar-biomass mode of operation. In this operational mode, the dryer reduced the moisture content of pineapple slices from about 669 to 11% (db) and yielded a nutritious dried product. The average values of the final-day moisture-pickup efficiency were 15%, 11% and 13% in the solar, biomass and solar-biomass modes of operation respectively. It appears that the solar dryer is suitable for preservation of pineapples and other fresh foods. Further improvements to the system design are suggested. (author)

A basic study on Thermosyphon-type thermal storage unit (TSU) using Nanofluid as the heat transfer medium

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuang-Fei; Wang, Ping-Yang; Liu, Zhen-hua

2018-05-01

This study proposed a novel thermosyphon-type thermal storage unit using water-based CuO nanofluid as the phase-change heat transfer medium. Seven tubular canisters containing solid-liquid phase-change material (PCM) with peak melting temperature of 100 °C were placed vertically into the center of the TSU which is a vertical cylindrical vessel made of stainless steel. Coat formed by depositing nanoparticles during the phase-change process was adopted to increase the wettability of the heat transfer surfaces of the canisters. We investigated the phase-change heat transfer, as well as the heat-storage and heat-release properties, of the TSU through experimental and computational analysis. Our results demonstrate that this thermal storage unit construction can propose good heat transfer and heat-storage/heat-release performance. The coating of nanoparticles onto the heat transfer surfaces increases the surface wettability and improves both the evaporation and condensation heat transfer. The main thermal resistance in the TSU results from the conductive heat transfer inside of the PCM. All phase-change thermal resistance of liquid film in charging and discharging processes can be ignored in this TSU.

A basic study on Thermosyphon-type thermal storage unit (TSU) using Nanofluid as the heat transfer medium

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuang-Fei; Wang, Ping-Yang; Liu, Zhen-hua

2017-11-01

This study proposed a novel thermosyphon-type thermal storage unit using water-based CuO nanofluid as the phase-change heat transfer medium. Seven tubular canisters containing solid-liquid phase-change material (PCM) with peak melting temperature of 100 °C were placed vertically into the center of the TSU which is a vertical cylindrical vessel made of stainless steel. Coat formed by depositing nanoparticles during the phase-change process was adopted to increase the wettability of the heat transfer surfaces of the canisters. We investigated the phase-change heat transfer, as well as the heat-storage and heat-release properties, of the TSU through experimental and computational analysis. Our results demonstrate that this thermal storage unit construction can propose good heat transfer and heat-storage/heat-release performance. The coating of nanoparticles onto the heat transfer surfaces increases the surface wettability and improves both the evaporation and condensation heat transfer. The main thermal resistance in the TSU results from the conductive heat transfer inside of the PCM. All phase-change thermal resistance of liquid film in charging and discharging processes can be ignored in this TSU.

Advanced Thermal Storage for Central Receivers with Supercritical Coolants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, Bruce D.

2010-06-15

The principal objective of the study is to determine if supercritical heat transport fluids in a central receiver power plant, in combination with ceramic thermocline storage systems, offer a reduction in levelized energy cost over a baseline nitrate salt concept. The baseline concept uses a nitrate salt receiver, two-tank (hot and cold) nitrate salt thermal storage, and a subcritical Rankine cycle. A total of 6 plant designs were analyzed, as follows: Plant Designation Receiver Fluid Thermal Storage Rankine Cycle Subcritical nitrate salt Nitrate salt Two tank nitrate salt Subcritical Supercritical nitrate salt Nitrate salt Two tank nitrate salt Supercritical Low temperature H2O Supercritical H2O Two tank nitrate salt Supercritical High temperature H2O Supercritical H2O Packed bed thermocline Supercritical Low temperature CO2 Supercritical CO2 Two tank nitrate salt Supercritical High temperature CO2 Supercritical CO2 Packed bed thermocline Supercritical Several conclusions have been drawn from the results of the study, as follows: 1) The use of supercritical H2O as the heat transport fluid in a packed bed thermocline is likely not a practical approach. The specific heat of the fluid is a strong function of the temperatures at values near 400 °C, and the temperature profile in the bed during a charging cycle is markedly different than the profile during a discharging cycle. 2) The use of supercritical CO2 as the heat transport fluid in a packed bed thermocline is judged to be technically feasible. Nonetheless, the high operating pressures for the supercritical fluid require the use of pressure vessels to contain the storage inventory. The unit cost of the two-tank nitrate salt system is approximately $24/kWht, while the unit cost of the high pressure thermocline system is nominally 10 times as high. 3) For the supercritical fluids, the outer crown temperatures of the receiver tubes are in the range of 700 to 800 °C. At temperatures of 700 °C and above

On the Behavior of Different PCMs in a Hot Water Storage Tank against Thermal Demands.

Science.gov (United States)

Porteiro, Jacobo; Míguez, José Luis; Crespo, Bárbara; de Lara, José; Pousada, José María

2016-03-21

Advantages, such as thermal storage improvement, are found when using PCMs (Phase Change Materials) in storage tanks. The inclusion of three different types of materials in a 60 l test tank is studied. Two test methodologies were developed, and four tests were performed following each methodology. A thermal analysis is performed to check the thermal properties of each PCM. The distributions of the water temperatures inside the test tanks are evaluated by installing four Pt-100 sensors at different heights. A temperature recovery is observed after exposing the test tank to an energy demand. An energetic analysis that takes into account the energy due to the water temperature, the energy due to the PCM and the thermal loss to the ambient environment is also presented. The percentage of each PCM that remains in the liquid state after the energy demand is obtained.

Hydrophilic modification of polyethersulfone porous membranes via a thermal-induced surface crosslinking approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mu Lijun, E-mail: l.j.mu@hotmail.com [School of Material Science and Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Zhao Wenzhen [School of Material Science and Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

2009-05-30

A thermal-induced surface crosslinking process was employed to perform a hydrophilic surface modification of PES porous membranes. Difunctional poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) was used as the main crosslinking modifier. The addition of trifunctional trimethylolpropane trimethylacrylate (TMPTMA) into the reaction solutions accelerated the crosslinking progress of PEGDA on PES membranes. The membrane surface morphology and chemical composition were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The mass gains (MG) of the modified membranes could be conveniently modulated by varying the PEGDA concentration and crosslinking time. The measurements of water contact angle showed that the hydrophilicity of PES membranes was remarkably enhanced by the coating of crosslinked PEGDA layer. When a moderate mass gain of about 150 {mu}g/cm{sup 2} was reached, both the permeability and anti-fouling ability of PES membranes could be significantly improved. Excessive mass gain not only contributed little to the anti-fouling ability, but also brought a deteriorated permeability to PES membranes.

Hydrophilic modification of polyethersulfone porous membranes via a thermal-induced surface crosslinking approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mu Lijun; Zhao Wenzhen

2009-01-01

A thermal-induced surface crosslinking process was employed to perform a hydrophilic surface modification of PES porous membranes. Difunctional poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) was used as the main crosslinking modifier. The addition of trifunctional trimethylolpropane trimethylacrylate (TMPTMA) into the reaction solutions accelerated the crosslinking progress of PEGDA on PES membranes. The membrane surface morphology and chemical composition were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The mass gains (MG) of the modified membranes could be conveniently modulated by varying the PEGDA concentration and crosslinking time. The measurements of water contact angle showed that the hydrophilicity of PES membranes was remarkably enhanced by the coating of crosslinked PEGDA layer. When a moderate mass gain of about 150 μg/cm 2 was reached, both the permeability and anti-fouling ability of PES membranes could be significantly improved. Excessive mass gain not only contributed little to the anti-fouling ability, but also brought a deteriorated permeability to PES membranes.

Hollow ceramic block: containment of water for thermal storage in passive solar design. Final technical report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winship, C.T.

1983-12-27

The project activity has been the development of designs, material compositions and production procedures to manufacture hollow ceramic blocks which contain water (or other heat absorptive liquids). The blocks are designed to serve, in plurality, a dual purpose: as an unobtrusive and efficient thermal storage element, and as a durable and aesthetically appealing surface for floors and walls of passive solar building interiors. Throughout the grant period, numerous ceramic formulas have been tested for their workabilty, thermal properties, maturing temperatures and color. Blocks have been designed to have structural integrity, and textured surfaces. Methods of slip-casting and extrusion have been developed for manufacturing of the blocks. The thermal storage capacity of the water-loaded block has been demonstrated to be 2.25 times greater than that of brick and 2.03 times greater than that of concrete (taking an average of commonly used materials). Although this represents a technical advance in thermal storage, the decorative effects provided by application of the blocks lend them a more significant advantage by reducing constraints on interior design in passive solar architecture.

A central solar-industrial waste heat heating system with large scale borehole thermal storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guo, F.; Yang, X.; Xu, L.; Torrens, I.; Hensen, J.L.M.

2017-01-01

In this paper, a new research of seasonal thermal storage is introduced. This study aims to maximize the utilization of renewable energy source and industrial waste heat (IWH) for urban district heating systems in both heating and non-heating seasons through the use of large-scale seasonal thermal

Thermal Feature of a Modified Solar Phase Change Material Storage Wall System

OpenAIRE

Luo, Chenglong; Xu, Lijie; Ji, Jie; Liao, Mengyin; Sun, Dan

2018-01-01

This work is to study a novel solar PCM storage wall technology, that is, a dual-channel and thermal-insulation-in-the-middle type solar PCM storage wall (MSPCMW) system. The system has the following four independent functions, passive solar heating, heat preservation, heat insulation, and passive cooling, and it can agilely cope with the requirements of climatization of buildings in different seasons throughout the year and is exactly suitable for building in regions characterized by hot sum...

Thermal Energy Storage for Building Load Management: Application to Electrically Heated Floor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hélène Thieblemont

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In cold climates, electrical power demand for space conditioning becomes a critical issue for utility companies during certain periods of the day. Shifting a portion or all of it to off-peak periods can help reduce peak demand and reduce stress on the electrical grid. Sensible thermal energy storage (TES systems, and particularly electrically heated floors (EHF, can store thermal energy in buildings during the off-peak periods and release it during the peak periods while maintaining occupants’ thermal comfort. However, choosing the type of storage system and/or its configuration may be difficult. In this paper, the performance of an EHF for load management is studied. First, a methodology is developed to integrate EHF in TRNSYS program in order to investigate the impact of floor assembly on the EHF performance. Then, the thermal comfort (TC of the night-running EHF is studied. Finally, indicators are defined, allowing the comparison of different EHF. Results show that an EHF is able to shift 84% of building loads to the night while maintaining acceptable TC in cold climate. Moreover, this system is able to provide savings for the customer and supplier if there is a significant difference between off-peak and peak period electricity prices.

Improved thermal stability of gas-phase Mg nanoparticles for hydrogen storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krishnan, Gopi; Palasantzas, G.; Kooi, B. J.

2010-01-01

This work focuses on improving the thermal stability of Mg nanoparticles (NPs) for use in hydrogen storage. Three ways are investigated that can achieve this goal. (i) Addition of Cu prevents void formation during NP production and reduces the fast evaporation/voiding of Mg during annealing. (ii)

Development and Performance Evaluation of High Temperature Concrete for Thermal Energy Storage for Solar Power Generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selvam, R. Panneer; Hale, Micah; Strasser, Matt

2013-03-31

Thermal energy can be stored by the mechanism of sensible or latent heat or heat from chemical reactions. Sensible heat is the means of storing energy by increasing the temperature of the solid or liquid. Since the concrete as media cost per kWh_thermal is $1, this seems to be a very economical material to be used as a TES. This research is focused on extending the concrete TES system for higher temperatures (500 °C to 600 °C) and increasing the heat transfer performance using novel construction techniques. To store heat at high temperature special concretes are developed and tested for its performance. The storage capacity costs of the developed concrete is in the range of $0.91-$3.02/kWh_thermal. Two different storage methods are investigated. In the first one heat is transported using molten slat through a stainless steel tube and heat is transported into concrete block through diffusion. The cost of the system is higher than the targeted DOE goal of $15/kWht_hermal. The increase in cost of the system is due to stainless steel tube to transfer the heat from molten salt to the concrete blocks.The other method is a one-tank thermocline system in which both the hot and cold fluid occupy the same tank resulting in reduced storage tank volume. In this model, heated molten salt enters the top of the tank which contains a packed bed of quartzite rock and silica sand as the thermal energy storage (TES) medium. The single-tank storage system uses about half the salt that is required by the two-tank system for a required storage capacity. This amounts to a significant reduction in the cost of the storage system. The single tank alternative has also been proven to be cheaper than the option which uses large concrete modules with embedded heat exchangers. Using computer models optimum dimensions are determined to have an round trip efficiency of 84%. Additionally, the cost of the structured concrete thermocline configuration provides the TES

Antioxidant activity of membrane-fractionated coffee extracts in dependence of the storage conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitev, D; Peshev, D; Peev, G; Peeva, L

2016-01-01

Present paper aims at one of the important aspects of the application of products with antioxidant activity: namely the preservation and change of their properties during the storage in different conditions, as well as their reliable characterisation. The tests of antioxidant properties were conducted with membrane-separated coffee extracts, isolated using a “Microdyn Nadir NP030P” type of commercial nanofiltration membrane (30% retention of NaCl; MWCO∼400). Prepared coffee permeates and retentates were stored 0÷10 days in cool/warm conditions, with/without air access and at different illumination conditions. The kinetics of content changes was evaluated according to Folin-Ciocalteu method of total phenolic/reducing content determination. (paper)

More with thermal energy storage. Report 5. Modelling systems. Effects of thermal energy storage systems on the environment. Modelling individual projects. Final report; Meer met bodemenergie. Rapport 5. Modellering systemen. Effecten van bodemenergiesystemen op hun omgeving. Modellering individuele projecten. Eindrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drijver, B.; De Jonge, H. [IF Technology, Arnhem (Netherlands)

2012-03-30

The project More With Thermal Energy Storage (MMB, abbreviated in Dutch) focuses on knowledge gaps and potential opportunities regarding open systems. The main questions to be answered are: (1) What effects (hydrological, thermal, microbiological and chemical) occur in the soil system by application of thermal energy storage; (2) Which technical options are available for a sustainable integration of thermal energy storage in the water and energy chain?; (3) Is it possible to achieve multiple objectives by using smart combinations? The project is organized in different work packages. In work package 2, the effects of individual and collective thermal energy storage storage systems on subsoils and the environment are determined. In work package 3 the opportunities for thermal energy storage and soil remediation are examined, while in work package 4 the focus is on new sustainable combinations of heat and cold storage. Work package 1 is the umbrella part where communication and policy of and participation in MMB are the main subjects. This report describes the results of the modeling of three existing thermal energy storage projects in the framework of the MMB project. The aim of the modeling of these projects is to gain insight in the reliability of the predicted hydrological and thermal effects, the causes of any deviations and improvements that are possible to improve the reliability of the predictions [Dutch] Het project Meer Met Bodemenergie (MMB) richt zich op het invullen van kennisleemtes en mogelijke kansen ten aanzien van open systemen. De belangrijkste vragen waarop het onderzoeksprogramma MMB antwoord geeft zijn: (1) Welke effecten (hydrologisch, thermisch, microbiologisch en chemisch) treden op in het bodemsysteem bij toepassing van bodemenergie?; (2) Welke technische mogelijkheden zijn er voor het duurzaam inpassen van bodem-energie in de water- en energieketen?; (3) Is het mogelijk om meerdere doelstellingen tegelijk te verwezenlijken door slimme

Can storage reduce electricity consumption? A general equation for the grid-wide efficiency impact of using cooling thermal energy storage for load shifting

Science.gov (United States)

Deetjen, Thomas A.; Reimers, Andrew S.; Webber, Michael E.

2018-02-01

This study estimates changes in grid-wide, energy consumption caused by load shifting via cooling thermal energy storage (CTES) in the building sector. It develops a general equation for relating generator fleet fuel consumption to building cooling demand as a function of ambient temperature, relative humidity, transmission and distribution current, and baseline power plant efficiency. The results present a graphical sensitivity analysis that can be used to estimate how shifting load from cooling demand to cooling storage could affect overall, grid-wide, energy consumption. In particular, because power plants, air conditioners and transmission systems all have higher efficiencies at cooler ambient temperatures, it is possible to identify operating conditions such that CTES increases system efficiency rather than decreasing it as is typical for conventional storage approaches. A case study of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area in Texas, USA shows that using CTES to shift daytime cooling load to nighttime cooling storage can reduce annual, system-wide, primary fuel consumption by 17.6 MWh for each MWh of installed CTES capacity. The study concludes that, under the right circumstances, cooling thermal energy storage can reduce grid-wide energy consumption, challenging the perception of energy storage as a net energy consumer.

Comparative analysis on operation strategies of CCHP system with cool thermal storage for a data center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Xu; Liu, Liuchen; Zhu, Tong; Zhang, Tao; Wu, Zhu

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Load characteristics of the data center make a good match with CCHP systems. • TRNSYS models was used to simulate the discussed CCHP system in a data center. • Comprehensive system performance under two operation strategies were evaluated. • Cool thermal storage was introduced to reuse the energy surplus by FEL system. • The suitable principle of equipment selection for a FEL system were proposed. - Abstract: Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power (CCHP) systems with cool thermal storage can provide an appropriate energy supply for data centers. In this work, we evaluate the CCHP system performance under two different operation strategies, i.e., following thermal load (FTL) and following electric load (FEL). The evaluation is performed through a case study by using TRNSYS software. In the FEL system, the amount of cool thermal energy generated by the absorption chillers is larger than the cooling load and it can be therefore stored and reused at the off-peak times. Results indicate that systems under both operation strategies have advantages in the fields of energy saving and environmental protection. The largest percentage of reduction of primary energy consumption, CO_2 emissions, and operation cost for the FEL system, are 18.5%, 37.4% and 46.5%, respectively. Besides, the system performance is closely dependent on the equipment selection. The relation between the amount of energy recovered through cool thermal storage and the primary energy consumption has also been taken into account. Moreover, the introduction of cool thermal storage can adjust the heat to power ratio on the energy supply side close to that on the consumer side and consequently promote system flexibility and energy efficiency.

Thermal-hydraulic experiment and analysis for interim dry storage of spent nuclear fuel